Dreams
by LittleReporterGirl
Summary: When Snape is asked to escort Casper to get her school things, the two end up forming an unlikely friendship, induced by the fact that Casper learns more about him through a series of dreams she doesn't understand. They both must learn to trust or else...
1. Book 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. If I did, Severus Snape would **_**so **_**be mine! lolz**

**Chapter 1**

It was past lunchtime when I awoke, shivering as if a ghost had passed through me. It was completely dark in my room; save for the red blinking numbers on my alarm clock that claimed the time was nearing 3:00 in the afternoon. I had been having a dream, though I couldn't quite recall what it was about. I was not afraid, just a little creeped out.

I drug myself out of bed and pushed back the solid black curtains that covered my windows, blocking all hope sunlight. I squinted in the bright summer sunshine and looked down from my second-story bedroom window. My cousin's car was still in the driveway, so I knew they weren't gone yet. I was about to shut the curtains when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye…it almost looked like an owl, but when I looked again I saw nothing. I shrugged my shoulders and walked downstairs.

My cousin, Anthony, sat on the couch in the living room with his wife, Amy, beside him. They were both watching TV, but looked up when I traipsed down the stairs, still wearing the clothes I had slept in, my black shorts and a black T-shirt.

"What's up, Casper?" Anthony asked, smiling slightly, before turning back to the TV.

"You're up early, aren't you Bat Girl?" Said Amy with a grin. I detested her nickname for me, though, as a technicality she was right. Just because I detested sunlight and wore black didn't mean I had to be called Bat Girl, though. Sometimes it seemed better than my actual name, Casper Addams. Sometimes people would make fun of me, calling me Ghost Girl, because of "Casper the friendly Ghost" from the TV show, a fact made worse by my eyes which were an abnormal color of bright, almost iridescent, silver. My silver eyes contrasted greatly with my jet-black hair, which I kept long enough to reach midway down my back. I suppose boys would have thought I was cute, had it not been for the fact that I was the shortest one in my class, which was even more alarming when you added the fact that I was also the skinniest.

I wasn't skinny for lack of trying not to be. Anthony and Amy didn't have very much money so we didn't have a lot of food. I'd been living with them since I was a baby, but I was well aware of the fact that my biological parents had died when I was very young. It didn't really matter to me. I had no memory of them.

"Hey Casper, will you go and get the mail?" Anthony said without looking up from the TV screen. I nodded and then made my way to the hallway where the mail had already been deposited through the mail slot.

I bent down to pick up the mail when I saw that the top envelope had my name on it. _Ms. Casper Addams_ It read in very formal slanted handwriting. I frowned as I picked it up. Who would be writing to an 11-year-old girl? I walked back into the living room and handed the other mail to Anthony.

"What've you got, Casper?" Amy asked me.

"A letter. It has my name on it," I said, sitting down in a chair. Both she and Anthony walked over curiously as I broke the wax seal on the back. Anthony and Amy exchanged worried glances when they saw the seal but they were completely silent as they read over my shoulder.

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL **

_Of _**WITCHCRAFT **_and_** WIZARDRY**

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, _

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)_

Dear Ms. Addams,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall,

_Deputy Headmistress_

I looked up at Anthony and Amy who still looked anxious and would not meet my gaze. I stared back at the letter.

"What is this, some sort of joke?" I asked hollowly, though on the inside I had a feeling it was not.

"Casper…it's not a joke. Your mother was a witch and your dad…your dad was a wizard," Anthony said to me.

"We didn't tell you because we weren't sure if that world even knew you still existed after what happened to them. We hoped that they wouldn't bother you with all that…that nonsense," Amy said painfully.

"The sort of nonsense that got my Aunt Mary killed," Anthony said furiously. Aunt Mary was my mother, obviously.

"You…I…" I was at a loss for words. How could they have not told me! My mind was spinning. Witches, wizards, magic? All the sorts of things I had always assumed were false…like Kris Cringle or the Easter bunny. Of course I had always been a dreamer. I liked to imagine the possibility of things. The letter seemed so easy to believe…like I didn't really have a choice to believe it. Strange, that one of the main things that ran through my mind was the possibility that magic could cause the dreams I have. The dreams that I sometimes can't remember. The dreams that wake me up in the middle of the night and don't let me fall back asleep for fear of them.

I picked up the second piece of paper and scanned the listed items. Various assortments of books, and other objects such as wands and cauldrons that I didn't even know where to begin to look for them. Anthony and Amy also read the list discreetly over my shoulder.

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL **

_Of _**WITCHCRAFT **_and_** WIZARDRY**

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _By Miranda Goshawk

_A history of Magic _by Bathilda Bagshot

_Magical Theory _by Adalbert Waffling

_A beginners guide to Transfiguration _by Emeric Switch

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore

_Magical Drafts and Potions _by Arsenius Jigger

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them _by Newt Scamander

_The Dark Forces: A Guide in Self-protection _by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

At the bottom of that page, in the same slanted handwriting that had written the name on my envelope, but in a red ink, was an added note:

_Ms. Addams,_

_Someone will come to escort you to purchase your school things on August 1__st__._

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall,

_Deputy Headmistress_

**Chapter 2**

I waited for August 1st like a younger child waits for Christmas morning on the eve before. I tried to keep my mind off of it, which I have always been successful at doing before with any other excitement. When August 1st finally came I awoke at 8:00 in the morning and went downstairs dressed in my favorite black jeans and a long-sleeved, but thin black shirt that would protect my highly sensitive skin from the sunlight.

I wasted the day away, watching TV, playing video games, and listening to music. Anthony and Amy were anxious and she spent the day in the kitchen cooking whereas Anthony sat with me and watched TV. By the time 8:00pm had come around no witch or wizard had appeared. I'd been up for 12 hours and I was getting pretty tired.

"I'm going to walk to the gas station and get an energy drink. They obviously forgot about me," I said to Anthony who merely shrugged and continued to watch TV.

I stepped out into the warm night air and walked to the gas station which was less than a block away. I bought an energy drink and walked back towards my house as slowly as possible. I sipped my energy drink and looked up at the stars. The night was clear and beautiful, but the whining of the cicadas and the crickets penetrated my calm and I became agitated. This happens to me often, becoming agitated, because I don't have a lot of patience. I try, but I always end up getting really annoyed at something or someone.

I pushed open the front door with my foot and froze when I saw that my cousins were not alone in the house. A greasy-haired, pale-faced, man wearing ominous black robes was sitting in my favorite chair. Anthony and Amy were sitting side by side on the couch, looking rather scared, but trying to be polite. The man turned slightly to face me and his dark eyes glittered coldly as he assessed me.

"You must be Casper Addams," He said in a low voice, "I am Professor Severus Snape. I am here to escort you to purchase your school supplies."

The tone of his voice sounded as if he'd rather be trapped in a pit of hissing cockroaches instead of taking me to buy my stuff. I would have loved to retort that I didn't need his assistance, but alas, I did for I did not know where I could find the things on my list.

"Pleased to meet you, Professor," I said coolly, crossing my arms and leaning back against the doorframe.

"We were expecting you sometime earlier today," Amy said in a tight voice that suggested she was trying to be polite.

"Forgive me, but I prefer the nighttime," Snape said carelessly.

"That's me as well," I said with a small smile. There was a plate of strawberries on the table in front of Amy.

"Want one, Casper?" She asked, offering me the plate.

"You know I'm allergic," I said coolly, taking a sip of my energy drink.

"Oh, right, I thought that was raspberries," Amy replied and I rolled my eyes.

"We should be going. It may take us a while to reach our destination," Snape said to me. I nodded my head and straightened up. I drained the last of my energy drink and tossed it at the trashcan. It bounced off the wall and went in. Snape walked out the door and I turned to Anthony and Amy.

"I'll see ya when I see ya," I said finally, and then I followed Snape outside.

He was waiting for me in the driveway and I frowned.

"How are we getting to…wherever we're going?" I asked him.

"We are going to Diagon Alley and we're flying, of course," He said to me.

"Flying?" I asked blankly.

"Yes, on a broomstick. You're not scared, are you?" He asked, smirking slightly.

"Scared? Of what? Falling?" I said with a scoff, "Hell no, I'm not scared."

"Good," He said. He pulled a wand out of his robes and waved it in the air. Within seconds a broomstick appeared and he mounted it.

"I'm assuming you don't know how to fly so you'll have to hang on to me," He said coarsely. I shrugged my shoulders before getting awkwardly on the broomstick. I wrapped my arms around his waist as we began to ascend. His smirk was not lost on me, but I chose not to retaliate.

It took us almost half an hour to reach a stopping point and by then I was glad I had worn the long sleeve shirt. It had been much cooler in the sky than it was on the ground. We had stopped outside of a place called the Leaky Cauldron. Even in the dark it was shabby and tattered compared to the surrounding buildings.

"Er, Professor?" I began.

"It is a portal into the world of witches and wizards. I detest the very thought of using this way, but it is the simplest way," He said with a sigh.

"Oh."

I followed Snape through the door of the pub. The interior was cloudy and smoky. Very few people were inside, but those that were there were chattering continuously about someone named Harry Potter. I assumed he was some sort of celebrity that I didn't know about and I noticed that Snape didn't seem to like him very much. We had almost made it to the back door when a man appeared in front of us. He was twitching a lot and it was beginning to annoy me.

"D-Dumbledore's got you r-running errands, eh, S-Severus?" The man stuttered. Snape cut his eyes at me and then at the man.

"Dumbledore asked me personally to assist Casper Addams to retrieve her school supplies. Casper this is Professor Quirrel, he's a teacher at Hogwarts…Defense Against the Dark Arts," Snape said coldly.

"Mm. D-did you h-hear the n-news? H-Harry P-P-Potter? H-here?" Quirrel asked Snape. He was ignoring me and that was something I had grown accustomed to, as I got older. Most people ignored me, unless they were making some snide comment about my silver eyes.

"Yes. Potter. Well, we must be off. Things to do," Snape said, grabbing my hand and practically dragging me away from the stuttering Professor. We went through the back door and come out in a small, walled courtyard full of weeds. I snatched my hand away from Snape.

"Don't like him, do you?" I remarked coolly, nodding back towards the door as I massaged my jolted wrist.

"It's not important. Pay attention," He said, pulling out his wand again. He walked over to the brick wall and pointed.

"That one there. Three up, two across," He said showing me how to find it. He tapped the brick three times with his wand and I watched in mute fascination as the wall quivered and the bricks began to move out of the way. A small hole appeared and then grew wider until we were facing an archway that led onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned as far as I could see. There were so many stores that I couldn't count them and they all had lights shining brightly, inside and out.

"This is Diagon Alley. Come. We must go and retrieve your money," Snape said to me. I followed him down the cobbled street, which was anything but abandoned, despite the late hour. Witches and wizards in robes of various colors still went in and out of stores, chatting merrily about some sort of sport and broomsticks.

"What money?" I asked, hurrying to catch up with Snape.

"According to Professor Dumbledore your mother left you a small amount of money in a Gringotts vault. It was set up before you were born, specially for the money you would need for school supplies, and it has since gained interest," He said to me. I didn't know what Gringotts was, but I despised having to ask questions so I kept silent. I also wished he would slow down so I could get a better look at everything.

We finally reached a large white building that towered over the others. It had the words "Gringotts Bank" printed across in gold letters. That answered my unasked question. Gringotts was a bank. Snape's black robes billowed behind him as we made our way swiftly up the stairs. We passed through two sets of doors and came into what would have looked like a normal bank, only it was a lot larger and there weren't people behind the counters…there were weird scabby-looking creatures.

"Goblins," Snape said to me, by way of explanation. I didn't respond, as fascinated as I was. We walked over to the counter where a free goblin waited to help us.

"We wish to make a withdrawal from vault 667," Snape said to the goblin in a lazy voice.

"Ah. Are you Casper Addams?" The goblin asked, peering at me through his wire-frame glasses.

"Yeah," I said with a shrug.

"And do you have your key?" The goblin inquired. I looked to Snape.

"Don't worry. Dumbledore gave it to me," He assured me.

"Who's worried," I mumbled in response. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a small silver key, which he laid on the desk.

"Very well, then. Follow me, please," The goblin said, coming out from behind the counter.

We followed the goblin down another marble passageway at the end of which there was a cart that sat upon tracks. The goblin opened the door to the cart and ushered us inside. As soon as we were all seated the cart went forward with such an amazing speed that I was thrown against the back of the cart. It didn't take long for the cart to come to a stop and by then my head was spinning. The goblin led us out beside a small door in the wall and used the small silver key to unlock it.

The door swung open to reveal a fair amount of gold, silver, and bronze coins that weren't like any I had ever seen before. I'd never had much money before, just the little bit I would get from helping the neighbors by cleaning their houses or babysitting their kids.

"The golden ones are called Galleons and they are of greatest value. 17 of the silver Sickles make one Galleon. The smallest bronze ones are Knuts and they're of littlest value. 29 Knuts to a Sickle," Snape explained as he helped me gather a bunch of the money into a bag. After we got the money the Goblin took us in the cart back to the entrance of the bank and we left. I had the list of things I needed in my hand and I had the money as well. Snape didn't look particularly interested in helping me and I supposed I could figure it out on my own.

"If you would like, I can go on my own," I offered quietly. He surveyed me quietly for a moment.

"Are you sure?" He asked me.

"Yes," I said, nodding my head, "I'd rather figure it out on my own."

"Very well. I'll meet you outside of Ollivander's to get your wand in a few hours. It's not my job to give you rules or limitations, but I suggest you stay away from Knockturn Alley if you want to live to see Hogwarts," Snape said before walking away.

**Chapter 3**

Of course the very first thing I wanted to do was check out the 'forbidden' Knockturn Alley, but I figured I'd get some of my things first to build the suspense. I enjoyed walking around in the dark, looking at the various shops and checking my list for items I would need. Flourish and Blotts was the first store I entered and it was a bookstore. I was always a very literature-oriented person so when I saw Flourish and Blotts I walked in immediately.

I browsed the shelves that were stacked all the way to the ceiling. As I found the books on my school list I took them off the shelf and hung onto them until I was finished looking at all the various titles and authors. Even the artwork on the covers enthralled me.

After purchasing my schoolbooks I made my way to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions in order to get my school uniform. I never had to wear a school uniform before and wasn't looking forward to looking like everyone else. I didn't like to blend in. Madam Malkin, the owner of the shop, was a short, smiling woman who ushered me inside.

"Hogwarts, my dear?" She asked with a kind smile. I nodded my head in confirmation.

"I thought so. Come along," She said. Madam Malkin led me over to a stool that I was to stand upon while she measured me.

"You know who was in my shop earlier today? Harry Potter!" She said as she pinned the robes to the correct length.

"Who's Harry Potter?" I asked finally, not at all liking not knowing who he was.

"You don't know who Harry Potter is? Blimey! Well let me tell you- Harry Potter is the only person ever to have face He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and survived! When he was barely a year old Harry Potter's parents were killed by You-Know-Who and when he turned on Harry and tried to use the killing curse, the curse was reflected back and destroyed You-Know-Who, leaving poor Harry with nothing but a scar," Madam Malkin explained. None of this made any sense to me at all. I didn't know who You-Know-Who was and I felt like it would be stupid to ask.

"There you are, my dear," Madam Malkin said as she finished up with my robes.

"Thank you," I said as I hopped down from the footstool.

The last place I went was the cauldron shop to get my cauldron before going to get my wand. The man inside smiled and nodded to me.

"Hogwarts, right? First year?" He asked me.

"Yes," I replied warily.

"I know just what you need," He said, walking over to a stack of cauldrons. I noticed three boys standing in the back of the shop, checking their lists. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Look at this rubbish! The Potions teacher must be mad," One of them exclaimed.

"Blimey! I'm surprised Professor Snape's not got us boiling up death potions yet," Said the other. So Snape was the Potions teacher. He'd never said what he'd taught. At that moment the wizard reappeared with my cauldron, interrupting my thoughts.

"Here you are," He said, handing it to me. I dumped my books and other things into the cauldron to make it easier to carry.

As I was on my way out I remembered Knockturn Alley, the place I wasn't supposed to go. I had always been one to defy the rules, mostly from an overload of curiosity on my own behalf. If someone told me not to mix bleach with ammonia I would do it anyway, just to see what would happen (I'd spent a few days in the hospital and we'd had to vacate our house for a while and stay in a hotel.)

It was easy enough to find the sign that said Knockturn Alley. I looked down that way and didn't really like what I saw. It was almost pitch black dark except for the candles that lit a few ominous-looking shops. I took a few wary steps down there; decided I didn't like the smell, and retreated back to Diagon Alley.

I made my way to Ollivander's, the wand shop, and found Snape waiting for me outside the shop.

"Have you gotten everything?" He asked lazily.

"Everything but my wand," I answered, nodding to the shop behind him.

"Very well. Come along," He said, walking inside. The paint on the outside was peeling and the building looked old. As I walked inside I caught a glimpse of a sign on the outside that said 'Ollivander's: Makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.'

The man on the inside of the shop looked like he'd been there since 382 B.C. as well. He was an elderly wizard with pale eyes, sitting in a chair. He looked up when we entered and smiled at me.

"There is a face I remember. You must be Mary Adam's daughter. I remember her wand quite well. Eleven inches and made of willow. A very fine wand indeed," Said Ollivander.

"You remember my mother? What about my father?" I asked eagerly. Snape looked meaningfully at Ollivander, who shook his head.

"I never knew your father. It is possible he got his wand from another maker. Ah, but enough of the past. You are here to get your very first wand, aren't you? Let's see what I have here…" Ollivander said, walking over to the shelves where thousands of thin boxes were stacked. I got the sense that he was lying about not knowing my father, but I didn't know why he would. He picked up a long tape measurer with strange silver markings.

"Which is your wand arm?" He asked me.

"I've always been left-handed," I said with a shrug. Ollivander nodded and began to measure my arm. When he was finished he pulled a few boxes off the shelf.

"Try this," He said, handing me a wand, "Beech wood and dragon heartstring. 11 inches. Nice and flexible. Give it a wave."

I waved the wand, but nothing happened. How disappointing. I tried three more wands before we found the right wand. It was nine inches long and made out of ebony with a unicorn hair core. As soon as he handed it to me I knew it was the right wand. A tingling warmth spread through my fingers and when I waved it, green sparks shot out the end. Ollivander laughed delightedly.

"The wand always finds the right witch or wizard," He said, pleased with himself. I paid 7 Galleons for my wand before Snape and I left the shop.

"We still have some time if you would like to look for an owl or something," Snape said, looking at his watch. I nodded my head and we made our way to Magical Menagerie where there were dozens of owls flying around, along with a few cats which were prowling around the floor. I looked at the owls, thinking it would be useful to have one of them to carry mail back and forth, but while I was looking at the owls a dark tabby cat came and began to rub on my legs. Every time I would look down at him or toed him out of the way he would meow loudly.

"You're very vocal, aren't you?" I said, finally picking him up. He meowed again and began to purr.

"His name is Gabriel," Said a witch behind the counter, "He showed up a few weeks ago with a note in his mouth. It said his name was Gabriel and he needed someone to take care of him."

"Oh, so you can carry notes, huh?" I said to the cat. He looked at me with his bright blue eyes and meowed loudly.

I purchased the cat and some food and a carrier for him. I also spent a little extra money and bought him a fancy red collar. When we entered the Leaky Cauldron on our way back to the 'Muggle world' as Snape called it, he pulled out his wand, waved it over all my purchases, and everything disappeared, even Gabriel in his carrier.

"I sent them to your house so we don't have to worry about carrying them on the broom," He explained to me.

"Oh."

"Ah, before I forget," He said, rummaging through his pockets. He handed me what appeared to be a train ticket.

"This is your ticket for the Hogwart's express. It is my understanding that you must walk through the wall between Platforms 9 and 10 in order to reach it," Snape continued.

As soon as we were in the air I began to feel drowsy. I'd been awake all day and all night, running on pure adrenaline, and now I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my bed and go to sleep. The night air was still relatively cool, making me even more tired. Finally, I gave up on trying to stay awake, and I leaned my head against Snape's back and fell asleep.

I awoke as we were descending in front of my house. Snape turned his head slightly to look at me.

"Nice to see you're finally awake," He commented dryly. I didn't feel fit to make a response so I said nothing. As we landed I saw my things were waiting on the doorstep in the shadows. I hurried forward and picked up my things. I'd opened the door and remembered to thank Snape, but when I turned around he was gone- vanished into thin air.

Amy and Anthony were already asleep when I walked inside. I drug all of my stuff- the cauldron with the other stuff inside of it, and Gabriel in his cage, upstairs to my room. I left the cauldron sitting in the middle of the floor and I let Gabriel out of his cage. He meowed and took a look around the room before jumping up onto my bed, curling up, and falling asleep. Before doing the same thing I marked September 1st on my calendar and taped the ticket next to the date so I would not forget it.

**Chapter 4**

September 1st didn't come fast enough for me. Every morning I woke up to check my calendar, hoping that today was the day, but when I saw that it wasn't I still didn't feel too bad. I spent most of my time reading my school books. I memorized a few spells and wrist movements, but didn't dare try them out. It was made very clear to me that we were not allowed to do magic outside of school. Still, I practiced the wand movements using a stick I'd found in the backyard that was the same length as my wand. I read my entire Potions textbook in one night and began to memorize a few simple potions, as well.

Gabriel was accepted as a member of the family and, though I fed him the food I'd bought, Amy liked to sneak him saucers of milk whenever she could. Finally August 31st came and I spent the entire day packing all of my things into a trunk. Gabriel observed my movements from the safe haven of my bed. After I finished packing I made my way downstairs where Amy and Anthony were sitting in the kitchen, eating lunch.

"I need a ride to King's cross station tomorrow. My train leaves at 11:00am," I said anxiously. Anthony grumbled something I couldn't hear, but Amy smiled kindly.

"Of course we'll give you a ride, Casper," She said reassuringly. I grinned and swiped a piece of toast off of her plate.

"Thanks Amy," I said as I bit the toast.

I was up most of the night, unable to sleep, and when I finally did close my eyes it was nearing 4:00am. I awoke a few hours later to the sound of Amy knocking on my bedroom door.

"Wake up, Casper, or you're going to be late!" She called before traipsing back downstairs. I was on my feet in an instant, accidentally knocking poor Gabriel to the floor from where he'd been sleeping beside me.

"Sorry, Gabriel," I said as I dressed in my everyday clothes. I didn't think it would be a good idea to go to the train station dressed in my Hogwart's robes. He watched with unblinking eyes and when I was finished he went to stand beside the cat carrier, as if he knew what was coming. He meowed loudly. I opened the door to the carrier and he walked in, making himself comfortable on the old blanket I had put in there.

At 10:00 I drug my trunk full of stuff downstairs along with Gabriel's carrier. By 10:30 Amy and I were at the train station.

"Anthony is really sorry he couldn't come and see you off, Casper. They called him into work early this morning," she said softly as we walked into the station. I shrugged my shoulders carelessly. Who needs Anthony when I'm going to a school of magic!

Truthfully, I was a little nervous about trying to get onto Platform 9 ¾. Snape had said to simply walk at the wall between Platforms 9 and 10 and I would be brought through by magic…but what if it didn't work? I'd just crash into the wall and people would stare at me. I hated when people stared at me!

With Amy's help, I got my trunk and Gabriel in his carrier onto one of the trolleys. I said farewell to Amy, promised to write as often as I could, and then she left. I faced the wall between Platform's 9 and 10 and I took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing, _I thought, and took off in a run. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact…but none came! I opened my eyes and saw that I had come out on the other side of the barrier. A scarlet steam engine sat before me in all its glory. The words "Hogwarts Express" was painted on a sign above it.

A crowd of young witches and wizards surrounded the train. They were all chattering loudly and many different-colored cats were wandering around their masters feet. Gabriel meowed and pawed at the door of his cage.

"Not yet, Gabriel, I wouldn't want you to get stepped on," I said to him. As if to prove my point a cat somewhere let out a terrible yowl as someone stepped on its tail. Gabriel retreated to the back of his cage.

I couldn't help but notice I was the shortest, out of all the kids I could see, which gave me a very depressed feeling. With no one's help I got the cat carrier and my trunk onto the train and drug them all the way to the back to an empty compartment. I slid the door closed and let Gabriel out of his carrier. He walked around, sniffing and exploring various places, and then he leapt on top of my trunk and pawed at the lid. Curious I opened it and he pawed at my wand. I took the wand out and ran my fingers over the smooth, black wood.

"D'you reckon it's be okay to do magic on the train? Seeing as it is part of the school?" I asked the cat, who meowed loudly in what I hoped was a 'yes'. I thought for a moment, considering the simple spells I'd memorized, and decided on levitation. I focused on the trunk and Gabriel leapt out of the way.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," I said clearly, giving my wand a flick. I was more than surprised when the trunk actually lifted itself into the air. In fact I was so surprised I almost dropped it. I did it a few more times before the train started to move forward.

It wasn't long after departure that there was a knock on my compartment door. A girl with brown, puffy hair, and a round-faced boy who looked rather nervous stood outside.

"Could we sit with you? All the other compartments are taken," said the girl.

"Uh…sure," I said, sliding over to make room as they drug in their trunks. The puffy haired girl eyed my wand.

"Have you been doing magic?" She asked me. I nodded my head in confirmation.

"Are you any good? I've tried a few simple spells myself and they've all worked," She said. I raised my wand and pointed it at my trunk.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_," I said clearly and the trunk became airborne once more. I laid it back down a few feet closer to me.

"That's amazing!" Said the round-faced boy, eyes full of wonder.

"It's no big deal," I said with a shrug.

"My name's Hermione, by the way, Hermione Granger, and this is Neville Longbottom," Said the puffy-haired girl.

"My name's Casper Addams. Pleased to meet you," I said politely.

"You have a beautiful cat, Casper," Hermione said to me, stroking Gabriel's head as he climbed into her lap and began to purr.

"Thanks. His name is Gabriel," I replied.

"Oh no! I don't believe it! I've lost my toad, Trevor," Neville exclaimed, searching his robes. We commenced to search the compartment, but didn't find the toad.

"I'll go have a look around the train. Maybe someone has seen him," Hermione said promptly, standing up. The boy named Neville followed her out.

Finally alone again I stretched out across the seat and closed my eyes, hoping to get a bit of rest. I was awakened a very short time later by the sound of something outside of the compartment I was in. A pudgy witch opened the door and smiled at me. She had a trolley full of various sweets and goodies I had never heard of before.

"Anything off the trolley?" she asked, still smiling.

"Er…I don't know. I've never had any wizard candy before," I said skeptically.

"I'd recommend some of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans," Said a voice from behind the witch. I looked to see two, red-haired twin boys standing in the corridor.

"The Chocolate Frogs are a riot, too," Added the other twin who had not spoken.

"But if you'd like something a little more drab…"

"…then try a few Cauldron Cakes-"

"-or Pumpkin Pasties," He continued. I got a few of everything they recommended and paid the witch with a few Sickles.

"Thanks," I said to the twins as the trolley moved along.

"No problem. My name's Fred Weasley-" Said the first twin.

"-and I'm George. The smarter of the two," said the other with a grin.

"My name's Casper. Er, would you like a Cauldron Cake?" I offered them each one. They both accepted them gratefully.

"Thanks," They said simultaneously.

"So, What are Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?" I asked, glancing down at the small package in my hand.

"Like what you'd call Jelly Beans in the Muggle World," Said George.

"-only with more flavors," Added Fred.

"I even got a booger-flavored one once," George said as if this was something to be proud of.

"Ew. How d'you even know what boogers taste like?" I asked, wrinkling my nose. They were both at a loss for words. I opened the package and tried one of the jelly beans.

"Blech! Spinach!" I said as I swallowed. The twins laughed at my facial expressions.

"Well, best be moving on," Said Fred.

"More 1st years to trick," George said cheerfully. Despite the fact that I'd been tricked into tasting spinach I thought the twins were hilarious.

I made my way back into my compartment and slid the door shut behind me. Gabriel was still sitting contently on the seat, grooming himself. I opened one of the Chocolate Frogs next and was surprised when the chocolate frog leapt out of the package. Gabriel let out a meow and grabbed the frog with his paws, after which he devoured it. I looked in the remainder of the package and saw there was a collectible card in it. I got the druidess Cliodna. I wasn't particularly interested in the card, but was eager to try another frog and soon found that they were my favorite out of all the candy I had tasted.

**Chapter 5**

Hermione returned a short while later to inform me that we were nearly there. We both changed into our Hogwart's robes before she hurried off again, still looking for Neville's toad. As soon as she left I heard a faint croaking sound and looked behind my trunk, expecting to find a Chocolate Frog I had missed, but it was actually Neville's toad.

"There you are you little bugger! You've had them looking everywhere for you, ya know?" I said to the toad. I cut my eyes at Gabriel who didn't look particularly interested in eating anything after his adventure with the Chocolate Frogs. I set the toad down beside me on the seat and decided to wait for Neville, rather than go looking for him.

As the train pulled to a stop both Hermione and Neville returned to get their things. Neville spotted his toad immediately.

"You found Trevor!" The boy exclaimed, grabbing his toad.

"Yeah. I think he was asleep behind my trunk," I said with a shrug.

"Thanks," Neville said, putting him in his pocket. Suddenly a voice rang throughout the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

I looked at Gabriel who was already standing at the door of his cage as if he knew what was coming.

"I guess that includes you, buddy," I said with a sigh. I opened the door of the cage and Gabriel walked in casually, turned a few times, and then lay down calmly in the back of the cage.

"Sure is smart, isn't he? Almost like he knew what was said," Hermione remarked.

"Mm-hmm," Was all I said.

A few minutes later we made our way out into the corridor where everyone else was pushing to get out of the train. I found myself pushed into one of the Weasley twins but I didn't know which one because I could no longer tell them apart. He smiled at me.

"Hope it's not too cold out there," He said cheerfully.

"Isn't it always?" Said the other twin who was behind him.

"At least there's the feast to look forward to," the first one replied.

Suddenly I found myself out on the platform, shivering in the cool night air. It was pretty dark, but a lantern eventually came, shining over the heads of the students.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Called a loud, booming voice. I followed the crowd of my peers to where a giant of a man stood, holding a lantern. Most of his face was covered with a thick beard and he had to have been almost 8 feet tall! We followed the giant down a steep, narrow path that was rather slippery. No one said much of anything until he shouted out, "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here!"

I heard the entire crowd go "Ooooh!" and a moment later I saw why. We had come out at the edge of what appeared to be a great, vast, black lake. On the other side sat an enormous castle atop a large mountain. It had a lot of turrets and towers and its windows sparkled beneath the starry sky.

"No more'n four to a boat," The giant called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. I found myself in a boat with a pale-faced boy with blonde hair. He smirked at me as he climbed in beside me.

"My name's Draco. Draco Malfoy," He said, extending a hand for me to shake.

"I'm Casper Addams," I said, shaking his hand tentatively.

"Are you muggle-blood or pure-blood?" He asked suddenly.

"huh?"

"Was your mom and dad a witch and a wizard?" He asked impatiently.

"Oh. Yeah. So I heard…they died when I was young, though, and I was raised by my Muggle cousin," I said awkwardly.

"Ah, well, at least you're still pure blood. You'll make a good witch, no doubt," Draco said vaguely. The boats moved forward of their own accord across the water which was smooth as glass. I let my fingers trail in the water.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," Draco advised, "There's a giant squid down there apparently."

I drew back my fingers and leaned over, hoping to see the squid, but I couldn't see anything.

We went through a long, dark tunnel, which apparently lead underneath the castle. We stopped when we reached a sort of underground harbor where we climbed out onto rocks and pebbles. I made my way away from Draco and away from the others. I followed in the back of the line as the giant led us up a passageway into the rock, coming out onto smooth, damp grass in the shadow of the castle. We all walked up a flight of huge stone steps and crowded around a large, oak door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" the giant asked, speaking to Neville of course. He raised his gigantic fist and knocked three times on the door.

The door swung open, revealing a tall, black-haired witch who wore emerald green robes. She had a very stern face and didn't look very friendly.

"The fir' years, Professor McGonagall," Said the giant to the witch. I vaguely wondered what class she taught.

"Thank you Hagrid. I will take them from here," Said the Professor. The door swung open even wider to reveal an entrance hall big enough to fit an entire house. I looked upwards, but could see no visible ceiling. A magnificent marble staircase led to the upper floors in front of us.

We followed Professor McGonagall across the stone floor and into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We all crowded around her to hear what she had to say.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The Four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while nay rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly," Said Professor McGonagall. She left us there and the murmur of voices began. I was left in my own quietness to muse over her speech. I wasn't particularly fond of rules and I didn't give a crap about awards, so I felt bad for whatever house received me. I wasn't going to try and stay out of trouble, but I would try not to get caught, for the sake of my house.

There was the sound of whooshing air and a few people screamed. I whirled around just in time to see about 20 pearly-white ghosts float through the back wall. They seemed to be arguing, not paying any attention at all to the first years.

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-" One of them was saying.

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost- I say, what are you all doing here?" One said, finally noticing us.

"New students!" Exclaimed the Friar, "About to be sorted, I suppose? Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house you know?"

"Move along now," Said Professor McGonagall's sharp voice, "The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin."

One by one the ghosts floated away, back through the wall.

"Now form a line and follow me," She said to us.

I followed the others into the Great Hall. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which floated in midair over four tables where the other students sat. The tables were covered with empty goblets and plates which glittered in the candle light. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers sat. Professor McGonagall had us all lined up at the head of the room with our backs to the teachers, facing the hundreds of students. I turned my head slightly and saw Snape, sitting at the table next to Professor Quirrel. He caught my eye and a trace of a small crossed his face. At that moment I heard Hermione's voice saying something about the ceiling being bewitched to look like the sky, so I looked up. Sure enough the ceiling was dark blue and dotted with thousands of stars.

I looked down in time to see Professor McGonagall place a pointed hat on top of a stool in front of us. It looked extremely ragged. It startled me suddenly, when the brim of the hat opened up and began to sing!

"_Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a thinking cap!"_

The whole hall burst into applause when the hat completed its song. Admittedly I was impressed that a hat could come up with rhymes like that. The hat bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still. Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit down on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!" Professor McGonagall said. The first girl walked forward anxiously and tried on the hat. There was a moments pause before the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!" and the girl went to join the table.

**Chapter 6**

I waited for my turn, wondering what house I would be in. I was definitely brave (in fact I couldn't think of a single thing I was afraid of), so perhaps Gryffindor. Then again I was smart enough to be in Ravenclaw. The hat had claimed those in Hufflepuff were just and loyal. I'd never thought of myself as particularly loyal because I'd never had anyone to be loyal to. Perhaps I belonged in Slytherin? Cunning meant skillful or sly. I was definitely sly, especially when it came to disobeying rules.

"Addams, Casper!" My name was called very loudly. I walked forward quite calmly and sat on the stood. The hat was placed on my head and promptly fell down over my eyes so I couldn't see anything.

"Well now…this is very curious," said a small voice in my ear. It was the voice of the Sorting Hat.

"_What's curious?_" I asked inside my mind.

"You very well could go into either of the houses. You've thought it through, haven't you? And in barely three minutes time since the sorting began. You are smart…and cunning as well. You like to break rules to find out why they were made in the first place. You break them for the sake of breaking them. Do you have any preference to your house? Ravenclaw? Or perhaps Slytherin?" The voice asked quietly.

"_Whatever you pick is fine with me. Wouldn't want to make your job too easy,_" I replied inside my mind, and I smiled.

"Very well, cunning one, I chose…SLYTHERIN!" The hat exclaimed. McGonagall lifted the hat from my eyes and as I made my way to the table farthest away I looked to the teacher's table and saw Snape was clapping loudly. He and the wizard with a long beard who must have been Dumbledore, exchanged meaningful glances. Snape turned suddenly and caught my eye as I sat down. He smiled at me and I smiled back as the other Slytherins clapped me on my shoulder, congratulating me.

I studied the designs on the edge of the plate, not wanting to look up or say anything. The hall fell silent a while later and I realized that Harry Potter's name had been called. I glanced up. No doubt about it- Snape was staring at the boy in pure loathing. When he was pronounced a Gryffindor the applause was deafening. I watched as he hurried over to his table. I immediately spotted the Weasley twins who were clapping him on the back. So they were in Gryffindor, too? Pity. Hermione and Neville were also sorted into Gryffindor house.

After the sorting was complete Dumbledore got to his feet. He smiled at everyone with his arms open wide.

"Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you," Dumbledore said, sitting back down. A lot of people were clapping and cheering. I wasn't one of them. Personally I thought that Dumbledore was a bit of a nut and a lot of my fellow Slytherins seemed to share this assessment. I noticed with a start that the table was covered with food and the sounds of people chattering merrily as they took their own portions, filled the room.

I was never one for eating a whole lot, but even I couldn't stop myself from devouring a large portion of steak, potatoes, and carrots. Miraculously I found room for more food when the dinner disappeared and was replaced with desserts. I took an apple pie and some ice cream and afterwards felt like I was going to puke. I'd never been truly _hungry _living with Anthony and Amy, but we didn't have enough money for a lot of exquisite things. Most of the time we'd simply have hamburgers and french-fries or just sandwiches when things were scarce. I lay my head down on the table, not really listening to the conversations of my fellow Slytherins. I looked up a few times to see Snape and Quirrel deep in a conversation that neither of them looked very happy to be in.

Finally when the food disappeared Dumbledore stood up again and everyone in the hall fell silent. I listened, even though I didn't want to listen.

"Ahem- Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well," Dumbledore said. I was pretty sure I saw him glance at the Weasley twins. I began to pay attention, wondering what rules I could break.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor, on the right-hand side, is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death," Dumbledore said somberly. I suppressed a laugh at his serious tone and immediately decided that was one of the first things I wanted to check out.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. He gave his wand a flick and a long golden ribbon flew out the end and shaped itself into words.

"Everyone pick your favorite tune," Said Dumbledore, "And off we go!"

The entire school burst out in song at different tunes and volumes and tempos so that it gave me a headache. I refused to sing and sat there the entire time, picking at the fingernails on my right hand. I did get a laugh, however, when the last ones to finish singing were the Weasley twins who sang to the tune of a slow funeral march.

"Ah, music," Said Dumbledore, wiping his eyes, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

"First years, follow the prefects," People began to say throughout the hall. Prefects were law-abiders who had the ability to dwell out punishments on troublemakers. Most of the time my brain would scream 'avoid' but I followed a black-haired boy who had a Prefect badge pinned to his chest.

He led us down into the dungeons to a blank, damp slab of stone wall. We all looked slightly puzzled.

"Behind here lies the hidden door to the Slytherin common room. The password changes every now and again, but if you forget the password or forget the location of the hidden door then you'd bloody be well-prepared to wait out here until someone comes to let you in. The password for now is _Salazar,_" said the Prefect. The stone door slid open and I followed the others into the common room. It was a low, underground room with rough stone walls and a ceiling where green lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling merrily in an elaborative carved fireplace and a few of the older students already sat in high-backed chairs.

The Prefect directed us to the girl's dormitories to the left of the fireplace which were opposite the boys' on the left. Too tired to do anything else I made my way into the dormitories. My trunk lay at the foot of a bed and Gabriel's cage was sitting on the trunk. I let him out immediately and he looked up at me, purring contentedly. It was close to freezing in here and I pulled the curtains shut around my bed. I changed into the same nightclothes I wore at home, which were my black shorts and a black T-shirt, and I crawled into bed. To my great delight there was thick, silver blanket to cover up with and I immediately felt warmer. Gabriel curled up next to my head on the pillow after sniffing around a bit and we both fell asleep, wondering what the next day might hold in store.

**Chapter 7**

My first week at Hogwarts was a difficult one. I managed to get lost on the way to breakfast the first day and on the second day I'd overslept. I was blatantly annoyed with the 100 and some odd number of stair cases that changed constantly. I ended up following Draco and his friends Crabbe and Goyle, to almost all of my classes until I had my schedule memorized.

The very first class I ever had was with Professor McGonagall. As it turns out she taught Transfiguration and was a sucker for lectures. Fortunately for me I had long ago learned to tune things out when I didn't want to hear them. I barely glanced up when she turned her desk into a pig.

"Today I will expect you all to _attempt _to transfigure matchsticks into needles," She said as she handed out matches, "I don't expect any of you to succeed."

I concentrated really hard on the match, envisioning it as a needle, and I gave it a good poke with my wand. To my surprise and delight it quivered for a moment before turning into a small, silver needle. Professor McGonagall couldn't believe it and I had to repeat the trick three more times before she believed I wasn't cheating. Everyone in my class was impressed. After that class I had History of Magic, which was taught by a ghost. He was a boring ghost, to make matters worse, and his voice droned on and on about some stupid stuff that happened years ago. His name was Professor Binns and I scribbled down notes from everything that he said and I felt almost certain that I'd be able to ace any exam he dared give us. After History of Magic I had Defense Against the Dark Arts, which was the class most Slytherins were looking forward to, but it turned out to be absolutely ridiculous. Quirrel was a bit of an idiot who didn't really do anything but talk and after a while his stuttering annoyed me and I tuned him out. Who cared about some stupid vampire in Romania anyway?

We had Herbology three times a week where we learned about the different magical plants. I paid close attention to those plants that we'd be using in Potions. We also had Astronomy every Tuesday night and we had to learn the names of stars and star patterns as well as the movement of planets. I didn't see much of Professor Snape, but I was told that he was head of Slytherin house, which explained why he was so delighted when the sorting hat put me there.

Finally, on Friday, I saw that we had our first Potions class and it was with the Gryffindors. In fact we had double Potions and then we got the rest of the day off. Pretty cool. I sat at the breakfast table with the rest of my house, but I didn't eat anything. I never cared too much for breakfast, even when I stayed with Anthony and Amy, but that was because I usually slept through it. I didn't even lift my head when I heard the mail arriving. It had scared me my first day when about a thousand owls swooped in through the open windows and started dropping parcels into peoples laps. Draco was always receiving sweets and other things from one of his father's exquisite, sleek-looking owls.

After the mail arrived and everyone was finished eating I went with the other Slytherins down to the dungeons. I saw Hermione and Neville in the hallway and smiled weakly at them. They smiled faintly back before lowering their eyes. Slytherins and Gryffindors were natural enemies, which pretty much sucked for me. The Potions classroom was in the dungeons, not far from our hidden common room.

I sat down at a desk in the front of the room as the other Slytherins followed me inside. Snape wasn't in there when we entered. I took a sweeping glance across the room and spied Harry Potter, sitting beside Hermione and a red-haired boy who had to be related to the Weasley twins. There was a faint murmuring of conversation amongst the Gryffindors and amongst the Slytherins. I put my head down on my desk until I heard the back door open and I turned my head to see Snape sweeping into the room, his black cloak billowing out behind him. The room fell silent as he made his way to the front of the room and I couldn't help but smile as he passed me.

Snape pulled out a roll of parchment and began to call roll. His eyes flicked to me when he said my name and he smirked slightly before continuing. He paused again at Harry Potter's name.

"Ah, yes, Harry Potter. Our new- _celebrity,_" He said softly. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling names and looked up at the class. His black eyes glittered coldly in the faint light of the dungeon.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," He began in a voice that was barely more than a whisper, but everyone heard it because no one dared speak. It reminded me a bit of McGonagall's class.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach," Snape said. I shuddered slightly, but smiled. A large silence met his speech.

"Potter!" Snape said quite suddenly, making me jump slightly, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry looked bewildered, but Hermione's head shot into the air. Snape ignored her. Inside my head I recalled the chapter from my Potions book- _The Draught of Living Death._

"I don't know, sir," Said Harry quietly. _He probably didn't read his Potions book at all, then! _

"Tut, tut- clearly, fame isn't everything," Snape said with a sneer, "Let's try again, Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

I remembered that immediately, too, because I'd always wondered how a stone got into a goat's stomach after reading that chapter.

"I don't know, sir," Potter said meekly. Draco was shaking with silent laughter.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape asked him. Harry was forcing himself to stare right back at Snape. Snape was still ignoring Hermione, whose hand was waving so far up in the air I would not have been surprised if it disconnected itself and flew away.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape asked him. Hermione stood up, her hand still raised. I scanned my memory for the answer. I was pretty sure they were the same thing.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly, "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

I gaped at him for even daring to think of talking back like that. A few of the other students sniggered.

"Sit down," Snape snapped at Hermione furiously, "For you information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is know as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

I dipped my quill in ink and quickly scribbled down what I'd already known.

"And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter," Snape said over the sound of rummaging for quills and parchment.

Snape split us all into pairs to work on a simple Potion, but there wasn't enough for everyone in the class to have a partner. Snape was one the verge of making Neville work by himself when I spoke up.

"I'll work by myself, Professor," I said quietly, moving away from the Gryffindor boy, Seamus, with whom I'd originally been paired. Snape surveyed me for a moment and then nodded shortly. Neville grinned at me as he made his way to Seamus' work table.

I checked the instructions in my copy of _Magical Drafts and Potions _before beginning to weigh dried nettles and carefully crush snake fangs. I halfway listened as Snape swept around the room, criticizing almost everyone. He didn't stop at my cauldron once, so I supposed that I wasn't doing bad. I had just dumped horned slugs into my potion when a loud hissing sound filled the dungeon and clouds of green smoke filled the air. Neville had managed to melt Seamus' cauldron. I leapt quickly onto my stool, avoiding the potion as it spread across the stone floor. I was about to say something furious when I saw the boils springing up all over Neville's arms and legs. Snape cleared away the potion with a simple spell I immediately memorized, before he rounded on Neville.

"Idiot boy! I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" snarled Snape. Neville whimpered, frightened.

"Take him to the hospital wing," He spat at Seamus before turning on Harry Potter.

"You- Potter- why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor," Snape said to them. This was clearly unfair, but it wasn't my place to say anything. Snape could take all the points from Gryffindor that he wanted.

**Chapter 8**

At the end of class everyone marched out, leaving their Potions behind to be scored. I dawdled by the stairs for a moment before Snape noticed me.

"You need something, Casper?" He asked lazily.

"No. I was wondering if you needed any help cleaning this stuff up?" I offered quietly. _Since I don't have anything better to do, _I added silently inside my head.

"Are you being a suck-up or do you really not have anything better to do?" He asked with a slight smirk.

"I really don't have anything better to do," I said truthfully, and a little amazed that he'd guessed my thoughts so correctly.

"Very well. You can clear the potion away after I grade it," He said to me, "Do you know the spell?"

"It was _Evanesco _wasn't it?" I asked, recalling the spell he'd used to clear away Neville's mess.

"Correct," He said with a nod.

We worked in silence except for every time he finished a potion I would say Evanescoand make the potion disappear. When he got to mine he stopped and smiled wryly.

"Looks like you got it right the first time, Casper. Full marks," He said to me. I smiled, feeling very pleased with myself.

"Are you doing this well in all your other classes?" He asked casually.

"I had to turn a match into a needle fifty times before McGonagall believed I wasn't cheating," I said with a sigh.

"You got it on your first try?" He asked, impressed, "Seems you have a natural talent for magic."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"By the way- why haven't you got anything better to do on a Friday afternoon than help clean out cauldrons?" Snape asked me.

"No homework," I replied with another shrug.

"No friends?"

"I'm not a sociable person," I responded, "But I may go have a look around the grounds when I finish here."

"Go on, then. I'm almost finished anyway," He encouraged me. I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I paused on my way out the door.

"Is there really a giant squid in the lake?" I asked with a frown, recalling what Draco had said to me.

"Yes, and other more dangerous things as well. Be careful if you're going out there," He warned me. _Danger is my middle name, _I thought gleefully as I hurried out of the castle.

I wandered around the castle grounds, enjoying the feel of the soft, green grass. I walked along the lake, looking for any sign of the giant squid, but I didn't see it. Finally I went back up to the castle and I made my way to the library which I had not yet had a chance to visit.

I lingered there for a few hours and I saw Hermione again. She was sitting in the very back of the library, reading a very large book.

"Hello, Hermione," I said, pausing at her table. I had three large books of spells in my arms and I set them down on the table.

"Oh, Hello Casper. That was a really nice things you did for Neville in Potions class earlier," She said, looking up at me.

"I like to work on my own," I said with a shrug, "And I knew Snape wouldn't give me grief about it."

"Yes, I have heard that he favors the Slytherins," She said in a tone that sounded as if she disapproved. I shrugged my shoulders again and I took a seat across from her.

"So, what are you reading?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Oh I'm reading a fascinating book. I'm trying to learn how to light waterproof fires," she said, thumbing through the book.

"Oh. I only know how to do regular fire. I found it in one of my books. The incantation is Incendio," I said quietly, "Perhaps if you put a repelling charm on it then it would repel the water?"

"Oh that's a brilliant idea, Casper! I can't believe I never thought of that. I simply _must _go try it out. See you later, then?" She said as she gathered her books.

"Sure," I said as she hurried out the door.

I thumbed through one of the books of spells until I saw something that caught my interest. I book marked the page, checked out all three books, and hurried back to the Slytherin common room. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading in the corner, not daring to try out the one spell I had found, leaving only once to go and eat dinner. I stayed in the common room until it was empty at about midnight. Gabriel was curled up in front of the fire, watching me unblinkingly and purring. I pulled out my wand and checked the book again in the place I had book marked it.

I tapped myself on the head with my wand and felt something cold trickling down my back. According to the book, this is how a Disillusionment Charm was supposed to feel. I looked down at myself and sure enough I was invisible. I checked my reflection in the mirror to make sure I was fully invisible. I was. I also had a feeling that Gabriel could see through my charm because his eyes still followed me. When I made my way to the hidden door Gabriel tried to follow me.

"No, Gabriel, you can't follow me," I hissed at him. He acted as if he hadn't heard and I had no choice but to allow him to follow me.

I remembered the forbidden corridor on the third floor and I tiptoed my way there. I walked quietly with Gabriel following close behind me. When we came to the locked door he wouldn't go anywhere near it. He kept a safe distance away with his ears pressed flat against his head.

"Scaredy cat," I whispered to him. I pointed my wand at the lock and whispered _alohomora _and the lock slid open with a click. Very quietly I peeked my head through the door and saw what had made Gabriel so nervous. A large, three-headed dog was curled up on the floor with its eyes half-closed. One of the heads looked up when the door opened but quickly put its head back down. I guess dogs couldn't see through Disillusionment charms like cats could. Still, I didn't feel like waiting around just in case and I quickly shut and locked the door back. Gabriel stood up and followed me out of the room.

I wandered around the castle until early in the morning, then I retreated to the Slytherin common room, removed my Disillusionment charm, and went to sleep. After that night, late night exploring became a part of my routine. I still went to my classes and did all my school work, but by night I was the invisible rule-breaker. I went into almost every classroom, even the teachers lounge where Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout were having tea late one evening.

On Thursday morning I saw a notice on the bulletin board that had probably been up there for a lot longer than I'd realized. The notice said that we would be having flying lessons that afternoon with the Gryffindors. My heart leapt- flying would reveal to me a whole new world of possibilities for my nighttime exploring!

My morning classes passed in a blur of excitement for me and the other first years. They all talked about flying and Draco bragged about playing Quidditch. He explained to me that Quidditch was a sport played on brooms and told me about the different positions and things. Finally, after lunch, we all made our way down to the grounds for our first flying lesson.

**Chapter 9**

When the Gryffindors finally arrived the teacher, Madam Hooch, told us to stand on the left side of our broomsticks. She didn't seem like such a bad teacher. She had short gray hair and yellow eyes that reminded me of Gabriel. A lot of the brooms were pretty shabby looking, but mine was okay. The black paint on the handle was chipped in places and the twigs were pretty frayed, but it wasn't so bad.

"Stick your right hand over your broom, and say 'up!'" Madam Hooch commanded. Everyone shouted up at the same time, except for me. I watched as a lot of people's broomsticks flew up into their hands and a lot of peoples did not. Hermione's had simply rolled over on the ground and I grinned at her.

"Broomsticks can smell fear, Hermione," I said jokingly. She rolled her eyes and tried again. This time it came up.

"Up," I said quietly. My broomstick floated up slowly as if it had better things to do than jump into my hand. _Great, I got the lazy broomstick, _I thought to myself.

Madam Hooch walked around, checking our grips. She stopped at Draco who was beside me.

"You're holding it wrong. Your hands should be here and here," She said, indicting to points on the handle.

"I've been flying for years," He protested.

"Well then you've been doing it wrong for years," She retorted and everyone laughed, except a few Slytherins.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch, "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and the come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle- three- two-"

Neville kicked off hard before the whistle had even touched her lips. He was rising straight up, until he reached 20 feet. Finally, he looked down, turned white as a sheet, and fell off sideways. He hit the ground with a loud WHAM that reverberated in my head. Everyone rushed towards him and I looked up. His broomstick was still rising and starting to drift towards the forest. I pulled out my wand, pointed it, and said _Accio. _The broomstick came straight back into my hand. I turned around in time to see Madam Hooch escorting Neville to the hospital wing.

As soon as they were gone Draco burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?" He asked with a smirk. The other Slytherins joined in his laughter. I tossed Neville's broomstick onto the ground and sat down with my back to the whole thing. I only turned around when I heard Potter and Draco fighting. Draco had picked up Neville's remembrall off the ground and was on his broomstick, going to put it in a tree or something. Potter went after him. I watched them flying and was impressed with both their skills. I wanted to try out flying, but didn't figure it'd be worth getting caught, which did happen to Potter. Professor McGonagall had seen him from her window and she quickly escorted him back up to the castle.

Madam Hooch returned a few minutes later and commenced with our flying lessons. It felt good to finally be in the air, even if I was only allowed to hover for a moment before touching back down to the ground. I watched as Madam Hooch stowed the broomsticks in the broom shed and then led us all back up to the castle.

I was impatient all throughout dinner and as I waited for the others to go to sleep. I read my books until past midnight when Draco and his goons finally went to bed. As soon as they were gone I cast my Disillusionment charm and left the common room. Gabriel was still following me closely, but I hardly noticed him anymore.

Gabriel ran around in the soft grass while I made my way to the broom shed. The door was locked, of course, but that didn't stop me.

"Alohomora," I whispered and then slipped inside. There were a lot of fair-looking broomsticks that I could have stolen, but I wanted to use the one I had ridden earlier that day. I didn't bother locking the door behind me as I went out into the open air. I mounted my broomstick and rose into the air.

With no Madam Hooch telling me what to do, I soared into the sky, higher and higher, until I was in a cloud. I got a little soaked so I flew lower by leaning forward slightly. I flew around, getting used to the feel of the broomstick. The wind felt good on my face and I was utterly enjoying myself. Gabriel was stretched out in the grass somewhere way below me and I could barely see him. I flew over the lake, peering down into the water and letting my feet trail in it a few times.

I was leaning forward on my broomstick, peering down into the water, when I thought I caught a glimpse of the squid. A flash of silver. Just as quickly as I had seen it, it was gone.

"Hello, Casper," Said a soft voice. It startled me so much that I fell off my broomstick and into the freezing cold water. My brain and my body were completely numb for almost a full minute before I pushed my way to the surface, gasping for breath. I crawled out of the water like a half-drowned rat. I quickly found my wand and lifted my Disillusionment charm, enjoying the warmth of the spell trickling down my back as I became visible. I looked around, still shivering, to see who had called my name. It was Snape and he was smirking at me.

"I didn't mean to scare you," He said to me, still smirking.

"I wasn't scared!" I said defensively, "You just startled me."

"Right…"

"Er, I'm not in trouble, am I?" I asked sheepishly.

"hmm…no, I think not. Everyone needs a little quiet time. …but be forewarned, Casper, I will not say anything on your behalf if anyone else catches you. You will be punished," He said coolly, "…so you'd better not get caught."

"Yes, sir," I said meekly.

"So, what were you doing? Trying to see the squid?" He asked, fighting back a smile.

"Yes sir. I thought I glimpsed it, but it was gone so quickly I couldn't be sure," I said with a shrug. I noticed for the first time the mud and grass that covered the front of my robes from where I had climbed out of the lake. I waved my wand over my robes and muttered _Scourgify a_ simple cleaning spell I had found in a book.

"Nice Disillusionment charm, by the way. A lot of full-grown wizards could not accomplish that," Snape said casually.

"Thanks," I muttered, looking away.

"Out of curiosity, where else have you explored?"

I figured it wouldn't hurt to tell him so I ticked off a list of places. When I got to the third-floor corridor he stopped me.

"You saw the dog?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah," I said with a shrug.

"You haven't told anyone else, have you?" He inquired sharply.

"No one except you. I don't talk to a lot of people."

"haven't you wondered what it was doing there?"

"Not really. I suppose it's guarding something. I really don't care."

He looked at me strangely, making me feel slightly uncomfortable.

"I should probably get to bed," I said awkwardly, averting his gaze.

"Of course. Don't forget your broomstick," He said, nodding to where the broom was still floating above the lake.

"Right. _Accio Broomstick,_" I said, pointing my wand. The broomstick shot across the lake towards me. I reapplied my Disillusionment charm before heading across the field to the broom shed. I looked back across the field as I locked the shed behind me and saw that Snape was still standing where I had left him, staring across the water, deep in thought.

**Chapter 10**

By the end of October I had pretty much forgotten about the three-headed dog. I still went out for a fly every night, but I rarely saw Snape, except from a distance. Our teachers had started giving us homework so when I wasn't out flying or exploring I was doing my homework. I rarely had time to sleep, but that was fine with me because the nightmares had returned. The nightmares I could never remember when I woke up.

One morning in Charms class Professor Flitwick said that we'd be making objects fly. Of course I had already mastered this so when he announced this I let out a groan and put my head down on the desk. The other Slytherins were all excited and pulled out their wands as Flitwick handed out feathers. _Feathers, _I thought to myself, _I can already lift a full trunk!_

They started immediately with cries of Wingardium Leviosa filling the room. I opened one eye and looked around. Not one single person had managed to make their feather fly. I had limited the amount of magic I used around other people so I wouldn't stand out any more than the others. Flitwick didn't know I had mastered levitation so of course he walked over and prodded me with the tip of his wand.

"Come on, Casper, head up. Give it a try, it's really not that hard," He encouraged. With a sigh I lifted my head and my wand.

"Wingardium Leviosa," I said with a flick of my wand. The feather leapt into the air and followed my wand tip as I traced patterns in the air.

"Incredible! You've done this before!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed.

"A few times. I can lift other things, too," I said quietly. I pointed my wand at Draco's textbook and caused it to zoom around the air. My fellow Slytherins applauded and whooped loudly. Next, I lifted a piece of chalk off the chalkboard and wrote: _My name is Casper Addams _across the chalkboard.

"Ooh! 10 points to Slytherin for extraordinary masterful skills of levitation," Said Flitwick, "I'd like to see the rest of you try just as hard as Ms. Addams."

After that day I was the prodigy of Slytherin house. People asked me constantly to demonstrate this or that or to teach them some spell or another. Draco approached me late one evening asking me to teach him the Leg-Locker Curse, but I told him it was late and I was going to bed, though he made me promise to teach him some other time.

Halloween, my favorite night of the year, dawned with the smell of pumpkins hanging in the corridors. My first class of the day was Transfiguration and McGonagall told us there was going to be a Halloween feast that night. The rest of my classes went quickly and by that afternoon even I was hungry. I walked down to the feast with my fellow Slytherins, but I overheard one of the Gryffindor girls saying that Hermione had locked herself in the girls bathroom and was crying. For a brief moment I considered going down to console her, but when the doors to the Great Hall opened I completely forgot.

Thousands of black bats were swooping down around the tables and there had to have been hundreds of jack-o-lanterns in place of the regular candles. As soon as we sat down the golden plates appeared full of food. I lobbed a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto my plate and was reaching for the ham when the doors to the hall burst open. It was Professor Quirrel and the image on his face was one of pure terror. He sprinted up to the teachers table with his turban askew and he slumped against the table, panting.

"Troll- in the dungeon- thought you ought to know," He gasped, then slumped to the floor in a dead faint. _What a loser _I thought to myself as an out roar broke out from the students. Professor Dumbledore shot off a few purple firecrackers from the end of his wand before the hall fell silent.

"Prefects lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately," Dumbledore commanded. In the midst of the students hurrying to follow the prefects I cast my Disillusionment charm quickly and started to follow the teachers into the dungeons. _How many chances would I get to see a live troll, anyway? _but then I remembered Hermione in the bathroom and cursed silently. How many of those Gryffindors would risk their necks to save her? I turned away from the dungeons and hurried up to the girls bathroom.

By the time I got there Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were already there, trying to save Hermione from the troll. I pressed myself against the back wall, avoiding being hit by the club. Ron Weasley pulled out his wand and aimed it at the troll.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" He cried. The club flew out of the troll's hand, rose high into the air, and then came down on its head with a sickening crunch. The troll swayed and then fell flat on its face with a thud that shook the whole dungeon. They all stood staring at it for a moment.

"Is it- dead?" Hermione asked timidly.

"I don't think so," Harry answered, "I think it's just been knocked out."

He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. I had missed that part, apparently.

"Urgh- troll boogers," He said, wiping it clean. We all looked up when we heard the sound of footsteps running towards the bathroom. The door opened and in walked McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrel. I pressed myself even further into the corner. Snape's eyes flicked to me immediately but he didn't say anything.

"What on Earth were you thinking of?" Said Professor McGonagall coldly to Ron, Harry, and Hermione, "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

"Please, Professor McGonagall- they were looking for me," Said Hermione.

"Miss Granger!"

"I went looking for the troll because I- I thought I could deal with it on my own- you know, because I've read all about them," Hermione lied. _Stupid, _I thought to myself, _Even I wouldn't be stupid enough to try that. I probably could've thought of a better lie. _

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived," Hermione said quietly. Surprisingly, McGonagall believed them.

"Well- in that case…" Said McGonagall staring at the three Gryffindors, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head in shame.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this. I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses," McGonagall said. Hermione left and McGonagall turned to Ron and Harry.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

Ron and Harry left. McGonagall and Quirrel pulled out their wands and I watched as they lifted the troll and left the room. As soon as they were gone Snape turned and snagged me by the arm. He tapped me on the head with his wand and I felt myself become visible.

"Enjoying the show?" He asked coolly.

"Er…yeah," I said sheepishly.

"So, the Granger girl lied?"

"Obviously," I replied, wondering how he knew.

"And you- did you help them at all?" He asked.

"No. They didn't even know I was here."

"Are you hurt at all?"

"No sir."

"In that case, five points to Slytherin…for not getting yourself crushed to death."

"Thank you, sir," I said quietly. My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly and I blushed.

"Better get to the common room before there isn't any food left," He said to me. He tapped me over the head with his wand and I became invisible once more. I left the room without saying anything else.

The common room was packed and noisy and no one noticed me come in or become visible once more. I quietly got a plate and took it into the dormitory. I sat on my bed where Gabriel was curled up. I gave him a piece of ham and he meowed loudly. The dormitory was empty and while I ate I told Gabriel about what had happened, though I wasn't sure whether or not he understood. Gabriel circled me for a minute, meowing continuously.

"I'm fine. No worries," I assured him. He surveyed me for a moment before laying back down to finish his ham.

**Chapter 11**

November came quickly and with it came the cold. Every night I went out to fly I would return half-frozen and had to sit near the fire for half an hour before I could go to sleep without risking pneumonia. There was a buzz of excited chatter as all the students seemed to be talking about the upcoming Quidditch match. It was Gryffindor versus Slytherin and somehow Harry Potter was going to play for the Gryffindor team, even though first years weren't supposed to play. I asked Snape about it and his face was livid when he told me Dumbledore had bent the rules.

Snape wasn't the only one irked about it. Draco was practically beside himself with fury when he tried to explain it to me.

"Not only is it not fair that Potter gets to play, but he's a _Seeker! _And everyone knows that the best seeker is a small one, so of course they'll have a good team. Not to mention he's got the world's best racing broom- A Nimbus 2000!" He complained.

"I think I liked it better when you were begging me to teach you the Leg-Locker Curse," I said with a sigh, relaxing on the couch in front of the fire.

"Oh yeah! Are you going to teach me? You promised!" He said excitedly.

"Not now, Draco. I, er, promised Snape I would do something," I lied quickly. I scampered out of the common room before he could ask me something else. I made my way out to the courtyard where it was near freezing. I pulled my cloak closer, hoping for a bit of warmth, when I saw Hermione, Ron, and Harry standing a little ways away with their backs to a blue fire that was in a jam jar.

"Nice fire, Hermione. How'd you get it blue?" I asked curiously, approaching them. Hermione smiled at me, but Harry and Ron looked away. She was on the verge of telling me when all three of them looked past my shoulder and saw Snape limping across the courtyard. I slipped away quietly, not wanting to anger him, and also wondering why he was limping. I watched as they blocked the fire from view, but Snape came over to them anyway.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?" Snape demanded. It was a book and Harry showed it to him.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," Snape said, "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

"He's just made that rule up," I heard Harry mutter angrily as Snape limped away with his book, "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly. I frowned to myself and made my way back up to the castle.

I wasn't planning on going out that night, but at about 2:00 in the morning I awoke from a vivid dream that I could barely remember. Something to do with fire… I was covered with cold sweat and as soon as I opened my eyes the dream started to slip away. I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep so I got up, got dressed, and left the castle.

I flew around for a little while on my broomstick, but I was freezing to death so I started to descend. That's when I spotted Snape limping down to the lake. I landed quickly and made myself visible to him.

"You're out a little later than usual, Casper," He remarked when I landed.

"Well, I wasn't planning on coming out, but I…woke up and couldn't get back to sleep," I said quickly. I didn't want to tell him I'd had a nightmare.

"I see…"

"uh, how's your leg? I noticed you're limping," I said, nodding to his left leg. He glanced down at his leg.

"Filch bandaged it. I'm fine," He replied.

"Well he's done a horrible job of it. You should let me…"

Before he could protest I aimed my wand and said _Ferula. _Bandages shot out the end of my wand and wound around his leg neatly. He looked surprised.

"Nifty bit of magic," He remarked. I shrugged my shoulders and looked away.

"Professor Flitwick tells me you've mastered levitation and McGonagall made the point of telling me that even Ms. Granger didn't manage to transfigure her matchstick on the first try," Snape said to me.

"It's not difficult, for me," I muttered, still looking away, "But I don't like to draw attention to myself."

"Of course not. So, are you going to watch the Quidditch match tomorrow?" He asked.

"I don't know. There are still a lot of things in the wizarding world I don't know about and Quidditch is one of them, despite Draco's efforts to teach me," I replied with a sigh.

"All you have to do is ask if you don't understand something, Casper," He said.

"I hate having to ask. I feel stupid," I retorted.

"The only stupid thing is _not_ asking because then you'll never know,"He replied.

"Alright then, tell me who 'He-Who-Must-not-Be-Named' is. I've heard a billion people say that and it means absolutely nothing to me," I said, recalling the day in Madam Malkin's.

"Ah. You know the Potter boy's story?" Snape asked softly.

"Yes."

"Well, He-Who-Must-not-Be-Named, was the most powerful, dark wizard of all time. He was pure evil and he wanted nothing but to gain power and he stopped at nothing to achieve it," He began. That stirred something in my memory…the song of the Sorting Hat. _Those cunning folk use any means To achieve their ends._

"He was in Slytherin, right?" I asked quickly.

"Yes. Some say he was a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself," Snape replied, "I think that The Dark Lord was always evil, but some say that there was a time when he was not. Dumbledore would know. Either way, when The Dark Lord left Hogwarts he began to gather followers called Death Eaters. He sent them to do his dirty work. When The Dark Lord was defeated by Potter the Death Eaters were rounded up by the Ministry of Magic and put into the wizard's prison, Azkaban."

"Did he die?" I asked with a frown.

"Some say that he did. I am uncertain. It is possible that he lingers on somewhere…powerless…alone…"

I felt something like a twinge of pity and Snape looked up suddenly.

"I shouldn't be telling you these things. You should go on to bed," He said strictly.

"Very well," I said with a sigh. I reapplied my Disillusionment charm and walked back up towards the castle.

I didn't sleep much that night, but when the morning came, clear and cold, I felt very awake. I went to the Great Hall with my classmates and ate breakfast. Toast and warm sausages. Most everyone was wishing the Quidditch players good luck. The Captain of our team, Marcus Flint, was encouraging his team to eat while simultaneously verbally bashing the Gryffindors. Draco joined in the verbal bashing, taking time out of his meal to actually go over to the Gryffindor table and make some snide comments.

I considered going to watch the match and Draco was practically begging me to go, but in the end I decided to stay in the castle and work on my essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts. When I finished that I thought about going to the library, but then the librarian might have gone to see the match. I lay back on the couch, thinking how wonderfully warm it was inside the common room. The light was dim and I could feel my eyelids growing heavy. The next thing I knew I was asleep and the dream started again…

_I could see someone standing with their back to me. Someone wearing long, black robes and a turban. It had to be Professor Quirrel. He started to speak, suddenly._

"_There's only a few more…If I could only just find out how to get past that dog, master," Quirrel said, and for once he wasn't stuttering._

"_Find a way…ask the giant…" Hissed a voice that chilled my blood. I looked around, but didn't see anyone other than Quirrel. _

"_He won't just tell me…I have to come up with a plan. Something to trick him into telling me…" Quirrel mused._

"_Does he not go to the pub very evening? I hear he has a liking for ale," Hissed the voice, "…and for dragons."_

"_Brilliant, master, of course! Dragons!"_

**Chapter 12**

I awoke with a start as the hidden stone door opened and in poured all of Slytherin house, looking depressed and irritated.

"We lost," Draco said miserable, sinking down on to the couch beside me.

"Damn. That's a shame," I said, trying to clear my head. The dream still stood out vividly, but I couldn't make any sense of it. Had it been only a dream?

"Yeah. Potter lost control of his broomstick midway through the game and he nearly got thrown off. It was hilarious! You should've seen the look on his face! Then he almost swallowed the snitch," Draco said, snickering.

"Hm. I'm going to the library. See you later, Draco," I said, standing up.

I was still a little shaken from my dream and the memory didn't show any signs of fading. I think I preferred it when I couldn't remember. I walked up the stairs leading out of the dungeon. I jumped slightly when I passed Quirrel in the hallway. He was muttering to himself, but his stutter was back.

"If o-only S-s-snape's cloak hadn't c-caught f-fire," He was mumbling. I paused for a moment and as soon as he was gone I turned and went back into the dungeons. I found Snape in the Potions classroom, sitting at his desk. He appeared very deep in thought. He looked up when I entered.

"I heard your cloak caught on fire at the Quidditch match so I figured I'd come and see what happened," I explained, sitting down on the top of one of the desks.

"I don't know what happened. I was watching the match when I looked down and saw blue flames coming from my cloak. How did you hear about it?" He asked me.

"Quirrel was muttering something about it," I said with a shrug. _Blue flames? I had seen blue fire just yesterday…_

Snape frowned again and he seemed distracted.

"Was there anything else you needed, Casper?" He asked. For a moment I considered telling him about the dream I'd had, but in the end I decided not to. He seemed busy.

"Nope. Not at all. See you later," I said, leaving the room.

I went to the library after that and saw just the person I'd been looking for- Hermione Granger.

"Hello Hermione," I said coolly, sitting down across from her. She looked up at me and smiled faintly.

"Hi, Casper," She said.

"So- why'd you light Snape's cloak on fire?" I asked, getting straight to the point. Her smile faded.

"How d'you know it was me?" She asked.

"Blue flames, Hermione. Only you know how to do that," I replied.

"Oh…well, alright, maybe I did, but only because he was…well he was jinxing Harry's broomstick," She said quietly.

"What? Are you sure?" I asked with a frown.

"Well it certainly seemed that way…and as soon as I did Harry was able to get back on his broomstick. You know as well as I do that you have to keep eye contact when performing a jinx and Snape wasn't blinking," She said.

"Alright. I'm not sure if I believe you, but I suppose it doesn't matter to me either way."

Over the next couple of weeks my bad dreams stopped and I was able to concentrate more on my classes before the holidays. The weather had turned even colder with the coming of December, especially down in the dungeons. Our dormitories were near freezing and I had taken to wrapping myself in the blanket and falling asleep in front of the fire in the common room. I didn't even consider sneaking out of the castle, especially when it started to snow. We woke up one morning to find the grounds covered with snow and almost everyone bundled up and went outside for a snowball fight. I stayed in the common room by myself, flipping through a book I had checked out of the library. Suddenly the door opened and Snape walked in.

"I'm making a list of the students staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Where is everybody?" He asked me.

"Outside having a snowball fight with Ravenclaw," I replied, closing my book.

"Oh. Are you staying at Hogwarts over the holidays?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I guess," I said with a shrug. He wrote my name down on the list and then left. When he was gone I decided to go up to the owlery and send a letter to Anthony and Amy. I had written them a few times before and only Amy wrote back to me. I was under the impression Anthony didn't approve of me being a witch. I got out a piece of parchment and a quill and scribbled a letter to Amy.

_Amy,_

_How are you? How is Anthony? I'm staying at Hogwarts for the Holidays. I hope you don't mind. I've been pretty busy with my classes and with the Homework I've been assigned. I'm pretty good at all of my classes, especially Potions. In Charms class we learned how to make objects fly. It's too bad we're not allowed to use magic outside of school or else it'd be pretty handy when we have to clean up the house._

_You can send a message back by this owl. Tell Anthony I said Merry Christmas._

_Love,_

_Casper_

Gabriel was following me up to the owlery when he stopped and stiffened slightly. A moment later the caretaker, Mr. Filch, and his old cat Ms. Norris, came down the staircase.

"What're you doing? Why aren't you outside, tracking snow into the castle with your filthy little friends?" Filch said, glowering.

"I'm going to send a letter and _they're _not my friends," I retorted coolly. Gabriel and Ms. Norris were circling each other, sniffing and meowing loudly. Finally Gabriel relaxed and continued his way upstairs. Ms. Norris simply ignored him and continued off with Filch.

I opened the door to the owlery and a few dozen owls swooped down around me. There was one in particular that I had used before. He was small and sleek-looking. He ruffled his black feathers and landed on my shoulder when I opened the door. A few of the other owls commenced to swoop down at Gabriel and he hid underneath a table. I sent the letter and then went outside to have a snowball fight with my fellow Slytherins.

I was just about the only Slytherin staying over the holidays. All the first years were gone, even Draco. There were three or four older kids staying that I didn't know. Hermione had gone home to her muggle parents, even though I hadn't spoken to her since she lit Snape's cloak on fire. I pretty much had the common room to myself and spent most of my time practicing spells.

Christmas morning dawned early. I was the only one in the dormitory and there was a small pile of presents at the foot of my bed. There was a box from Anthony which contained some money and a bottle of fingernail polish. There was also a present from Amy, which was a black sweater that looked very warm. Finally, there was an unmarked present. I opened it slowly and found it was a book called _Curses and Counter-curses _by Vindictus Viridian. There was no note along with it.

There was a huge Christmas feast held down in the Great Hall. I'd never seen so much food in one place before. One hundred turkeys, mountains of potatoes, peas, gravy, cranberry sauce, and much more. All around the room people pulled apart wizard crackers that exploded and had all sorts of things inside them, including several live mice that would probably end up being dinner for the various cats around Hogwarts. I sat by myself, feeling abnormally lonely, and ate my food in silence.

I retreated to the Slytherin common room after lunch and started to read my book. I book marked a few pages of spells that I would try out later and as the day grew later I skipped dinner and went straight to bed.

**Chapter 13**

When the holidays were over Hogwarts was full and loud once more with the return of all the students. Draco went around bragging about his Christmas presents and returned to bugging me about teaching him the leg-locker curse. My nightmares returned again and this time I couldn't remember them. I tried not to dwell on them too much, but when they would wake me up I could never get back to sleep. In the end I couldn't get to sleep at all for fear of having those dreams. I would stay awake for hours. Sometimes I would sit in front of the fire, reading, or I would go out and fly until the sun came up.

A few days before the second Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, I finally agreed to teach Draco the Leg-locker curse.

"Alright, the incantation is _Locomotor Mortis_, got it?" I asked as he aimed his wand at me across the nearly empty common room.

"Got it. _Locomotor Mortis_," He said, waving his wand. My legs snapped together and I fell over. I swore loudly as I struggled to my feet, performed the counter-curse, and collapsed into a nearby chair.

"Excellent!" Draco exclaimed, "I can't wait to try it out on someone else…"

Draco headed out of the common room and, curious, I followed him. Crabbe and Goyle followed him as well.

He went towards the library and outside of the library he passed Neville Longbottom.

"_Locomotor Mortis_," Draco said, waving his wand. Neville's legs sprang together and Draco laughed loudly as Neville fell over. Neville struggled to his feet and bunny hopped away.

"Look at that fat lump," Draco said to Crabbe and Goyle. I slipped away quietly back towards the common room as Draco began to gloat.

The next day Draco had pretty much forgotten his petty accomplishment as he spread around some interesting news.

"Hey, Casper, are you going to the Quidditch match tomorrow?" Draco demanded at breakfast that morning.

"I don't know, why?" I asked, alarmed at being spoken to at breakfast. No one ever spoke to me during breakfast.

"Well, Snape's going to be refereeing. There's no way Gryffindor can win," he said brightly. I glanced up at the Head table where Snape sat with the other teachers. He looked a little bit happier than usual.

"Cool. Maybe I will go," I said to Draco. He grinned and then went off to pester someone else.

That night I could fall asleep so once everyone had gone to bed I left the castle and broke into the broom shed. Instead of using my regular broom I grabbed Harry Potter's Nimbus 2000, eager to try it out. As I soared above the lake I thought, _No wonder he's beat us in the first game. This broom is amazing! _I happened to glance down and see a cloaked figure walking across the field. It was Snape, of course, but he wasn't walking towards the lake, he was walking in the opposite direction. I followed him, silent and invisible. _Where is he going? _I wondered to myself.

"If you must know, Casper, I'm going to the Quidditch field," He said, turning around. I gaped at him.

"There is no way you know I am here!" I protested.

"Ah, but I do know you're there."

"How did you know?"

"I can't tell you that. Are you going to follow me?"

"Probably."

"then at least make yourself visible so I don't feel like I'm talking to thin air."

_Talking to thin air…_that reminded me of my dream of Quirrel talking out loud. _Dragons, _he had said, _what had he meant about dragons?_

"Are you still there, Casper?" Snape asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was thinking about something," I said quietly. I tapped myself on the head with my wand and then flew down, landing spectacularly in front of him.

"That's Potter's broomstick," Snape said, surprised.

"Well, yeah, it's a little bit better than the one I usually ride," I said with a shrug. He continued walking towards the field and I walked beside him, silent as a shadow. I noticed him observing me out of the corner of his eye.

"You haven't been sleeping at all, have you?" He asked lazily. I shook my head.

"Why not?" He asked. I hesitated. _Should I tell him about my dream? It seems pretty stupid, though…but I couldn't come up with a better lie…_

"Probably it's best if you don't lie," He said smoothly. I jumped, startled.

"You can read minds, can't you?" I demanded. It wasn't the first time I had suspected that, but he simply smiled at me.

"I just have an uncanny knack of guessing what people are thinking. Are you going to tell me what is keeping you from sleeping?" He asked.

"Just a stupid nightmare," I muttered, looking away.

"About what?"

"I have no idea. That's the problem. It wakes me up and for a moment or two I'm petrified which is saying a lot because I don't get scared easily, but I can never remember the dream afterwards," I said bitterly.

"So, you haven't slept because you're scared of…being scared?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Hmm."

He didn't say anything else until we reached the Quidditch field.

"So, are you really refereeing tomorrow?" I asked him, looking around the empty field.

"Yes," he replied simply.

"Why'd you come here tonight?"

"A change of scenery, I suppose," He said with a shrug.

"It's cold. I hope the weather gets warmer soon," I said with a sigh.

"It will. When it gets warmer you can sometimes see the giant squid resting in the shallows," He told me.

"Really? Well, in that case I hope summer hurries up."

**Chapter 14**

The next morning after breakfast I followed the Slytherins down to the Quidditch field. It was Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff and we were all cheering for Hufflepuff. It wasn't until the players were already in the sky that I noticed Dumbledore was in the stands. Apparently this was unusual because Draco was complaining loudly about it.

"Of course he'd come to this particular match! Make sure no one cheats. I'll just have to take matters into my own hands," Draco grumbled. I watched as he and his goonies made their way to the Gryffindor stands.

I watched the Quidditch match drowsily, and I kept drifting off. I had actually fallen asleep when I heard a deafening roar of boos from the Slytherins and cheers from the Gryffindors. Harry Potter had caught the snitch. The game was over. I watched as Harry Potter landed and Dumbledore walked out on the field. Snape landed behind them, tight-lipped and white-faced. He spat on the ground as Potter walked off the field.

I skipped supper that night, since I was feeling so tired, and went to the dormitory. I lay down on the bed for a full minute before I fell asleep. A dream started right after that…

_It was Quirrel again, in a shadowy clearing, but this time he wasn't alone. Snape was with him._

"…_d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places Severus…" Quirrel stammered._

"_Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape icily, "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's stone after all."_

_Quirrel mumbled something indistinct and Snape cut him off._

"_Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"_

"_b-b-but Severus, I-"_

"_You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrel," Snape said, taking a step towards him._

"_I-I don't know what you-"_

"_You know perfectly well what I mean."_

_An owl hooted loudly and I thought I heard someone. I missed a bit of the conversation._

"_Very well," Snape said, cutting off whatever Quirrel was saying, "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."_

I awoke with a start. The night was still early, maybe midnight. This dream didn't scare me, merely made me curious. I lay my head back down on the pillow and closed my eyes, thinking about what I'd heard.

"What the hell is a Sorcerer's Stone?" I muttered to myself before falling back asleep.

Over the next few days every time I saw Quirrel he looked paler and more nervous than usual. Snape also seemed tired and distracted. I wanted to ask him about the Sorcerer's Stone, but the only time I saw him was during Potions class and I wasn't going to ask him then. Finally I saw him out one night when I was flying. I landed immediately when I saw him by the lake.

"I need to ask you something," I said quickly. He jumped slightly and I realized I had startled him.

"You didn't know I was here, this time, did you?" I asked smugly.

"I wasn't paying attention. What do you want to ask me, Casper?" He asked shortly. I was surprised. His temper was close to the surface.

"_Temper! _Alright, I want to know- what is a Sorcerer's Stone?" I inquired. He looked up, frowning.

"What? Where-…Who told you about it?" He demanded.

"No one. I just…heard it in passing. What is it?" I asked.

"Students aren't supposed to know…I'm not sure I should tell you…" He murmured.

"I won't tell anyone," I promised.

"If you tell anyone what I'm about to tell you I'll throw you off the Astronomy tower and make it look like an accident," He threatened.

"Fine! Just tell me," I said eagerly.

"It is a legendary stone that can turn any metal into pure gold. It can also produce the Elixir of Life, that makes whoever drinks it immortal," He said to me.

"Ah, that's what the three-headed dog is guarding," I said.

"I didn't say that."

"Of course not."

"Are you going to tell me who told you about the Stone?" He demanded.

"no. Like I said, I just heard it in passing," I said with a shrug.

"Right. Well I hope your curiosity has been satisfied. And I wasn't joking about the Astronomy tower, either," He threatened, "Though I suppose I could just poison you."

"Stop threatening me, I'm not gonna tell anybody. Besides, I'm not stupid enough to drink anything you give me, Potions master," I replied defiantly. He looked as if he was going to smile, but thought better of it.

"Run along to bed and don't ask anymore suspicious questions. You have been sleeping, haven't you?" He asked me.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Exams are only a few weeks away and you need to be alert."

**Chapter 15**

The exams did come quickly and they were stressful even for me. The hot weather had finally come and it was sweltering hot inside the classrooms where we had our exams. For McGonagall we had to turn a mouse into a snuffbox. I did this efficiently, turning a plain white mouse into a blue and silver snuffbox. For Flitwick I had to make a pineapple tap-dance across as desk. Not hard, either. In Potions I had to make a Forgetfulness potion, which Snape told me after class I had gotten completely correct.

I had a little trouble with my written exams. I wasn't sure I got all 12 uses for dragon's blood correct because every time I thought about dragons I was reminded of my nightmares. I had to think for quite a while before I remembered the cures for a werewolf bite as well.

My nightmares had stopped as well and the end of the year was drawing closer. I was finally able to sleep well and had even stopped my nighttime wanderings. It was late one night or perhaps early one morning that I awoke to a spasm pain in my head. I was confused at first, but when I sat up and looked around the pain was gone. _Perhaps it was just my imagination, _I thought drowsily. I lay back down and went to sleep.

When I awoke and went down to breakfast the school was in an uproar. Students were talking wildly about something that had happened last night. I got one of the Weasley twins to sit still long enough to tell me. Professor Quirrel had tried to steal the Sorcerer's Stone last night, which was apparently hidden under the school (I already knew that, though) and he was working under orders from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and Harry Potter defeated him _again. _

"Potter's in the hospital wing," Fred said to me, "There's no telling when he'll be up for visitors but everyone has been taking him cards and candy. Dumbledore is sitting by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up."

"What time did all this happen?" I asked faintly.

"Sometime last night or early this morning," He replied with a shrug, then went off to talk to someone else. _Sometime last night or early this morning…_That's when I had awakened. Creepy. Definitely something I wasn't going to tell anyone.

I went down to the dungeons and found Snape sitting in the Potions classroom.

"You knew about Quirrel, didn't you?" I asked before he could say anything.

"To an extent," he replied faintly. He looked pale and tired.

"Are you alright?" I asked, frowning slightly.

"Fine. I just need some sleep, that's all," He assured me.

"Draco's said that Slytherin won the house cup. That's a cheerful thought," I said casually.

"Right. We'll see how that goes."

The end-of-year feast came more quickly that I would have liked. Potter was let out of the hospital wing to attend the feast and everyone fell quiet and stared at him when he entered. The Great Hall was decorated with the Slytherin colors of silver and green. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table and Snape was smiling slightly. Seeing the banners made me feel slightly proud.

"Another year gone!" said Dumbledore cheerfully, "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were…you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with 312 points; in thirds, Hufflepuff, with 352 points; Ravenclaw has 426 and Slytherin, 472."

I joined in my fellow Slytherin's cheering and stomping. Draco clanged him goblet against the table.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore, "However, recent events must be taken into account. Ahem, I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes…First- to Mr. Ronald Weasley…for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points. Second- to Miss Hermione Granger…for the cool use of logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points. Third- to Mr. Harry Potter…for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryfindor house sixty points."

The roar from their table was deafening. Gryffindor and Slytherin were now tied for first place. Draco looked like he was about to puke. Dumbledore raised his hand for silence.

"There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom. Which means we need a little change of decoration," Dumbledore said. He clapped his hands and the green and silver banners turned to scarlet and gold. The huge snake vanished and a Gryffindor lion took its place. I watched Snape shake hands with McGonagall, smiling as if he'd rather be force-fed rat poison. I smiled sadly before turning to the feast that had appeared on the plates in front of us.

The next day our exam results came back. I scored highest out of all the first years in Potions and in Charms. I'd done well enough in everything else. The next thing I knew trunks were packed, and we were on our way home on the Hogwarts express. Everyone changed back into Muggle clothing as we passed through the villages. I put on my jeans and my black T-shirt, knowing I was going to miss the feel of the robes.

I said farewell to a lot of the people I had met during the school year before going through the barrier between Platform 9 ¾ and the Muggle world. Amy was standing there, waiting for me, but something looked different about her. At first I thought she'd just gained a bit of weight and then I realized…

"You're pregnant!" I exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Yeah. Anthony didn't want me to tell you via a letter, he wanted to wait for you to get home," She said with a small smile, "He's really excited, though."

"Wow! A baby…how far along are you?" I asked her.

"Just 3 months. The doctor says he'll be born in December," She said, smiling.

"Cool. Where is Anthony?" I asked, looking around.

"He's at work," She said, rolling her eyes, "They're inventing some sort of new shoe at the factory that his boss thinks is going to make them all rich."

"Another one, huh?"

Anthony was always talking about how they were working on a shoe that was going to make them all rich and famous.

"Yep. Come on, Casper, let's go home," Amy said, leading me towards the car. I followed her. Now life would finally go back to normal…


	2. Book 2

_2 months later_

**Chapter 16**

2 months later life was anything but normal. Anthony was rarely home and when he was home he made a point of not speaking to me unless necessary. Between Amy's mood swings and cravings I had taken to staying locked up in my room most of the time. I missed Hogwarts. I'd done all my homework within the first month and I wanted nothing more than to be back in the dungeon common room, reading spell books by the light of the fire. And, to make matter worse, my nightmares had returned. The nightmares that I couldn't remember.

A few weeks before school was due to start back on September 1st Snape came to take me to Diagon Alley to get my school supplies. I'd gotten my letter from Hogwarts the week before and couldn't help but notice almost all the books I needed were written by someone named Gilderoy Lockhart. I suspected the books were for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I also wondered who our new teacher was going to be.

Snape showed up early one morning, which I hadn't expected. I was still sleeping when Amy banged on my bedroom door.

"Casper, wake up, that Professor is here to take you to get your school things," She called through the door. I jumped out of bed, startling Gabriel who'd been asleep on my pillow. Snape was here…in my house…

"Give me a minute to get dressed!" I called back. I heard Amy go back downstairs. In the darkness of my bedroom I pulled on a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. I put on my shoes and grabbed the money bag from my trunk before thundering down the stairs. Snape was sitting in the living room and he stood when I entered. I saw him smirk slightly at the sight of my disheveled hair and bleary expression.

"I overslept," I grumbled, running my fingers through my hair in an attempt to fix it.

"Of course. Come along, then," He said, beckoning for me to follow him out the door.

"So, how are we getting to Diagon Alley this time? Surely it's not safe to fly during the day," I said looking up at the sky, which was a dull grey.

"If we stay above the clouds, we'll be safe," He assured me. He waved his wand and conjured two broomsticks.

A minute later I soared happily through the clouds, not caring that I was getting thoroughly soaked in the process. I had my booklist tucked safely in my back pocket and I was already thinking about all the various shops that I could visit while in Diagon Alley. I was also making a mental list of all the things I needed- parchment, quills, ink…

We landed around noon, just outside the leaky cauldron. No muggle spotted us as we landed and Snape quickly made the broomsticks vanish. I followed him through the door of the Leaky Cauldron where a few bedraggled-looking witches and wizards sat, drinking. I remembered the last time we'd been here Quirrel had stopped Snape to talk to him. This time no one stopped us and we went right on through the pub and through the brick wall leading to Diagon Alley.

"Gringotts first, I think," Snape said, heading towards the wizard bank. The streets were even more crowded than usual and as we passed Flourish and Blotts, the bookstore, I couldn't help but notice that it was crammed full of witches and a few wizards.

"What's going on in there?" I asked, making an attempt to peer over the heads of the witches who were all a lot taller than me.

"Gilderoy Lockhart is signing copies of his books," Snape said, glancing at the bookshop as if this annoyed him.

"Why does that irritate you?" I asked curiously, almost running to catch up as he increased his pace.

"He's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…and in my opinion Quirrel was better than this guy will ever be, and that _is _saying something," He replied.

"How's that?"

"You'll see soon enough, I suppose, don't let me affect your opinion of him."

As we reached the steps of Gringotts I spotted a familiar, pale-faced blonde boy standing next to a taller, older man who was an exact replica of him. I turned my face away quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice me, but-

"Hello Casper!" He said, walking over enthusiastically.

"Hello, Draco," I replied, forcing a smile.

"Are you buying your school things? I've already gotten mine and father's promised to buy me a new broomstick," Draco said, looking up at his father. Draco's father merely glanced at me before turning to Snape.

"Severus," He said with a nod.

"Lucius," Snape replied, also acknowledging him. Draco's father placed a firm hand on his shoulder and steered him away.

"Come, Draco, we have much to do," His father said.

"See you at school, Casper," Draco called back to me. I ignored him and hurried up the steps to Gringotts behind Snape.

We left the bank a little while later with my bag filled with money for schoolbooks. I paused at the bottom of the steps and looked around.

"I've got to get some parchment and things," I said, nodding to the store beside Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"Right. How about I go and get your books while you do that. It'll be easier for one person to get through that blasted crowd anyway," He said, glancing loathingly at Flourish and Blotts. I nodded my head in agreement and he walked off towards the bookstore. I was heading in the opposite direction when a voice from behind me called-

"Casper!"

I turned to see Hermione Granger standing a few feet behind me. Beside her stood two people who looked very uncomfortable and were very obviously muggles.

"Hello Hermione," I said, walking over to her.

"Hi. Er, was that Professor Snape with you?" She asked, glancing past me.

"Yes. Dumbledore sends him to escort me to get my school things since I live with muggles…my cousin Anthony and his wife," I replied quickly.

"Ah. I'm waiting for Harry and Ron. We're going to get our school supplies and have a look around. Would you like to come with us?" She offered.

"No thanks…I get the impression they don't like me very much…me being a Slytherin and all. I've got to hurry along now. See you later, Hermione," I said. She nodded and then I turned and went to go buy parchment and ink.

**Chapter 17**

I emerged from the store a little while later and looked around. I was heading towards Magical Menagerie to buy Gabriel some cat treats when I almost ran into a girl. She was about my height (which saying something because I was short even as a first-year and I'd barely grown over the summer) and she had shoulder-length black hair. She seemed a little anxious and her bright green eyes were darting around anxiously.

"Can you help me? I'm a little mixed up…I'm looking for Eeylops Owl Emporium. I passed it earlier and promised my mum I'd meet her there to get my owl…" The girl said to me. I immediately felt a fondness for her and decided to help her.

"Sure. I can show you there, if you'd like," I offered. Her eyes lit up and she smiled.

"That'd be great! My name's Jennifer Ortiz. What's yours?" She asked as she followed me through the crowd of people.

"Casper Addams," I replied, smiling faintly.

"Is it your first year at Hogwarts, too?" She inquired.

"Actually, no. This is my second year."

She looked amazed and impressed.

"Really? What House are you in?"

"Slytherin."

"Wow. My mum was in Slytherin when she was younger, but my dad was in Gryffindor. I don't really know what house I hope to be in…" She mused, "What is your favorite class?"

"Potions. I'm really good at it, too," I added as an afterthought.

We reached the shop and Jennifer looked around the shop.

"I don't see my mum. Want to help me pick out an owl, Casper?" She asked.

"Sure," I said brightly. I followed the first-year around the shop as she examined each and every owl.

"Do you have an owl?" She asked me curiously.

"Nope. I was going to get one, but I ended up with a cat. His name is Gabriel," I replied.

Jennifer finally decided on a sleek-looking eagle owl with black and grey feathers. She paid for him with money from her purse and then we walked outside with him in the cage to wait for her mum.

"Do you know what you're going to name your owl?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure yet. I was thinking Aaron," Jennifer replied, studying her owl carefully. Suddenly a blonde-haired witch appeared before us, slightly red in the face and breathless. She was carrying a stack of books.

"Hey mum. I've already gotten my owl," Jennifer said quickly.

"Oh good. I've gotten your books, all of them signed by Gilderoy Lockhart. Who's your friend, Jen?" Her mother asked.

"This is Casper. She helped me pick out my owl," she replied.

"Pleased to meet you, Casper. Are you a first-year as well?"

"No, I'm a second-year," I replied, feeling slightly annoyed.

"Ah. Well thank you for helping Jen pick out her owl. Jen, we've got to get a move on. We still have to get your robes and-" Her mother's voice was lost as she swept Jen away.

"See you at school, Casper!" Jen called back to me.

I realized with a start that I was terribly late and I hurried over to Flourish and Blotts where Snape stood outside with an armful of books. He looked slightly irritated and disheveled.

"What've you been doing?" He asked me, "Breaking more rules?"

"No. I think I made a friend," I replied faintly.

"I thought you didn't talk to people?"

I shrugged my shoulders and followed him off down the street.

The entire flight home I was quiet, thinking about my new friend, and also I was brooding.

"What's wrong, Casper? You seem abnormally quiet," Snape remarked, studying me.

"Nothing, really, it's just-…everyone thinks I'm a first year," I said, annoyed.

"Ah. Well you are _short_," He said with a smirk. I frowned at him and pretended to dive at him on my broomstick.

We landed outside of my house a little while later. The streets were empty of Muggles so there was no need to be secretive.

"See you at Hogwarts, then," I said finally after he gave me my train ticket.

"Right," He said before Disapparating with a pop.

I walked into the house with my arms full of books and stuff. I immediately took my things upstairs and dumped them on my bed. There'd be time to sort through it later. I walked back downstairs and into the living room. No Amy. I walked into the kitchen. Still no Amy. I spied a note on the counter and read it.

_Casper,_

_Anthony's taking me to my Doctor's appointment. We'll bring home dinner._

_~Amy_

Ah, I'd forgotten she had a doctor's appointment today. I tossed the piece of paper back onto the counter and turned around. Suddenly, I heard a loud yowl from the other side of the counter and rushed around it to find Gabriel with his paw caught in a mouse trap.

"Gabriel!" I gasped. I fell to my knees beside him and tried to grab his paw to pull the trap off but he was struggling too much.

"Be still!" I commanded. He became absolutely still, but continued to meow pitifully. As gently as possible I pulled the trap apart and Gabriel snatched his paw out. It was crushed and bleeding. If we'd been at Hogwarts I would have bandaged it with the same spell I had used on Snape's leg last year, but we weren't allowed to use magic outside of school. I went upstairs and got some bandages and I carefully wrapped Gabriel's paw and taped it. He limped a few steps towards the door, looked up at me, and meowed loudly.

"Poor baby," I crooned, scooping him up. I carried him upstairs and lay him down on my pillow. He stretched out awkwardly and watched as I sorted the parchment and quills into my trunk. I stacked the books by my bedside and picked up on of Lockhart's books called _Magical Me. _I lay back on my bed and opened it.

Fifteen minutes later I decided it was a load of rubbish. There was no way this guy could have done half the stuff he claimed to have done. I looked at the picture of him on the front cover. He had wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and dazzling white teeth. His picture was moving, as was custom in the wizard world, and he kept winking at me. Most witches would have found him charming… I had a very strong urge to curse him into oblivion.

**Chapter 18**

September 1st came quickly and Anthony had to drive me to the train station because Amy was morning sick. I knew Anthony detested all things magical, which was why he had hardly spoken to me all summer, except on my birthday in June when he'd given me a little bit of pocket money. He didn't say much, merely grunted 'bye' when I got out of the car. I was a little bit early, but I went ahead and walked towards Platforms 9 and 10. I was surprised to see a nervous-looking Jennifer standing near the Platforms beside a trolley with her owl and a trunk on it.

"Casper!" She said, looking relieved.

"Hey Jennifer. Where's your mum?" I asked, startled that she should be by herself again.

"Gone. She told me just to go through here, but I'm a little anxious," she admitted, abashed.

"No problem. Just follow me," I assured her. I pushed my trolley towards the wall and went through it with ease. A moment later Jennifer appeared with her eyes closed. She opened them and gasped.

"Wow!" She said, gaping at the scarlet steam engine.

Between the two of us we managed to get our two trunks, an owl, and a cat onto the Hogwarts Express before it left the station. Jennifer was full of questions that I was patiently answering. I was trying to explain Quidditch to her when our compartment door slid open and Hermione Granger burst in.

"Harry and Ron aren't here, are they?" She asked desperately.

"Obviously not," I said, looking around, "Have you lost them?"

"I don't think they got onto the Platform! We were running late and I thought perhaps I'd simply lost them in the crowd, but I can't find them anywhere," She exclaimed.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. Potter's got an owl, hasn't he? He can use her if he missed the train," I assured her.

"Oh. Of course…I only hope he doesn't do something extremely stupid…" She said, sitting down on the seat beside me. She noticed my friend for the first time.

"Hello," Hermione said to her.

"Hi. My name's Jennifer," She said quietly.

"I'm Hermione Granger. Are you a first-year?"

"Yep."

Their conversation continued for the better part of an hour until the witch pushing the trolley filled with candy came by. We all bought a lot of sweets and ate them in silence. I let Gabriel out of his cage so he could chase the chocolate frogs that got away, but he was severely limited by the bandage that was still on his paw.

"So, this is your cat?" Jen said, watching as he attempted to grab a frog, "What happened to his paw?"

"He got it caught in a mouse trap. He usually so clever…" I said as Gabriel caught the frog. He looked at me disdainfully as if he understood what I said.

When we were drawing closer to Hogwarts Hermione suggested we put our robes on. Finally the train pulled to a stop and we all got off. Jen was forced away by Hagrid's familiar call of "firs' years over here!"

Hermione and I followed the rest of the school over to where at least a hundred stage coaches were waiting, presumably pulled by invisible horses or bewitched to move on their own. It intrigued me as Hermione and I climbed into a coach along with the Weasley twins.

"You haven't seen Ron, have you?" Hermione asked them. They exchanged glances.

"No. Why?" They chorused.

"I don't think he and Harry got onto the Platform. I can't imagine why…"

A short while later the carriages came to a halt in front of the castle and I followed the others up the steps and into the Great Hall, which looked the same as ever in all its magnificence. Fred, George, and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table and I followed Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle to the Slytherin table at the opposite end of the hall. I looked at the High Table, trying to figure out what was out of place (besides Gilderoy Lockhart, still smiling) and I realized almost instantly-

"Where's Professor Snape?" I whispered to Draco. He looked up, surprised, and looked around the Great Hall.

"Maybe he went to find Potter and his friend. They weren't on the train," Draco said gleefully, "there's something I'd pay to see!"

I didn't pay too much attention until I heard Jen's name being called. I looked up as she strode across to the stool and sat down as McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on her head. She was anxious, but determined not to show it, and I watched as the Sorting Hat nearly engulfed her whole head. A few minutes ticked by until finally the hat opened wide and shouted "SLYTHERIN!"

I clapped and cheered with the rest of my house as she hurried over to join us, black hair flying out behind her. She sat down beside me and grinned weakly.

"I thought I'd be more difficult that that," She whispered to me as the sorting resumed.

"Nope. Did you have fun crossing the lake? Did you see the giant squid?" I asked her.

"There's a giant squid?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Supposedly. I haven't seen it, though," I replied.

At the end of the Sorting the feast appeared as usual and I couldn't help but notice when Dumbledore strode out of the Great Hall. I loaded my plate with food as Jen asked what I recommended. I plopped some mashed potatoes onto her plate along with some beans. When all the food had been devoured the desserts appeared. I paused with a spoonful of pudding halfway to my mouth and looked up as both Dumbledore and Snape walked into the hall.

"There he is," I said with a relieved sigh.

"Who?" Jen asked curiously.

"Professor Snape. He's head of Slytherin House and he is also the Potions master. He is also who accompanies me to Diagon Alley to get my school things," I replied.

"I didn't see him there."

"He was getting my books from Flourish and Blotts."

"He doesn't look too happy, does he?" She remarked. I glanced up again.

"He never looks happy," I replied, but she was right. He did look a little gloomier than usual.

After dessert Professor Dumbledore gave one of his usual speeches and then told the first years to follow the Prefects to the common rooms. Jen looked at me anxiously.

"I'm going to go talk to Snape. You follow one of the Prefects. I'll see you later if you wait for me in the common room," I assured her, pointing out one of the Prefects.

"Alright. See you later, then," She said, hurrying to follow the other first years.

I caught up with Snape as he was leaving the Great Hall. When he saw I was trying to catch up with him he paused to wait for me.

"So, what's up?" I asked as I reached him. He showed me a copy of the _Evening Prophet _with a headline of: _FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. _

"Potter and Weasley?" I asked, not sure whether to laugh or not.

"Yes. Unfortunately, it's not in my power to expel them," He replied.

"Ah, so that's why you were sulking," I said as we walked towards the dungeons.

"I wasn't sulking," He retorted.

"Whatever. Do I have a Potions class tomorrow?" I asked curiously. We didn't receive our course schedules until the morning, but he would know beforehand.

"Not until Thursday," He replied. I didn't hide my disappointed look quick enough and I he smirked at me.

"Now who's sulking?" He taunted.

"I'm going to bed," I retorted, scowling at him.

Jen was waiting for me, half-asleep in one of the chairs in the common room. She looked up when I entered.

"Hey Casper. That was some feast, huh?" She said enthusiastically.

"Yep, and they're all like that- the Halloween Feast, the Christmas Feast. You should probably get to bed, you know, you have classes tomorrow morning," I said to her.

"classes already? Brilliant," She said, stifling a yawn. I followed her into the girl's dormitory where most everyone else was sleeping. Gabriel had already been let out of his cat carrier and was curled up on my pillow.

"G'night, Casper," Jen said from her bed beside mine.

"good night, Jen," I said, yawning also as I lay down on my bed. I fell asleep almost instantly.

**Chapter 19**

The next morning Jen woke me up, full of energy as usual. I showed her the way to the Great Hall and we sat down to eat breakfast. As we ate I pointed out the different teachers and told her their names and the subjects they taught.

"…And that's Professor Flitwick-" I was cut off by the sound of thousands of wings flapping overhead, "Ah. That's the mail."

Jen looked up as all the owls swooped down or dropped packages for their various owners.

"Hey, look, it's Aaron," she said delightedly as her owl swooped down and landed on her shoulder. He didn't have a letter for her, but he was eyeing her toast hungrily.

"I think he wants a bit of toast," I said to her. She fed Aaron a crust of toast and he hooted happily before flying off. Draco came running up to the table suddenly.

"Weasley's got a howler!" He said happily.

"A what?" Jen and I asked both asked simultaneously.

"you'll see," He said, and we all turned to watch the Gryffindor table. All of a sudden there was a deafening bang and the voice of someone who could only be Ron's mother filled the hall.

"**-STEALING THE CAR I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE! WHEN WE GOT THAT LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD HAVE BOTH DIED! -ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED-YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINEWE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME!"**

The silence afterwards rang in my ears. Draco and a few others laughed gleefully and talk gradually broke out again. Snape was walking down the table handing out course schedules a moment later. I grabbed my schedule and looked at the first class. I swore loudly and saw Snape smirk again.

"What's wrong, Casper?" Jen asked me.

"I've got Lockhart's class first thing this morning," I groaned.

"Oh, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Every witch in the country thinks he's dreamy, including mum," Jen said, rolling her eyes.

"Even you?" I asked.

"No way! He's too full of himself. I'm too young to think anyone's 'dreamy' anyway," She said, rolling her eyes again, "And so are you."

"Damn straight. What classes have you got today?" I asked, looking at her schedule.

After breakfast I followed Draco and the other second years to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. I sat at the very back of the class, away from everyone else. We sat there for nearly 10 minutes before Lockhart showed up. He stood at the front of the class and smiled.

"Sorry I'm late. I was showing Professor Sprout the proper way to bandage a Whomping Willow," He said to us. The Whomping Willow was a very dangerous tree that Potter and Weasley had flown into in their flying car. Lockhart reached forward and picked up a copy of _Magical Me _and pointed to his smiling face on the cover.

"Me," He said, pointing to it and winking, "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of _Witch Weekly's _Most-Charming-Smile Award," He smiled as he said this and again I had the desire to hex him.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books- well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about-just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in-"

Lockhart handed out the test papers and I read down the line of questions.

_1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color? _

_2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

On and on, there were 54 of these questions, and I seriously doubted I had gotten any of them right. Half an hour later he took up the papers. I gratefully ignored him, surprised by the fact that my head was aching terribly. I pressed my face against the cool desk until I heard him say:

"Now, to business," He said. I lifted my head as he walked over to a large covered cage. Curious the entire class leaned forwards.

"Now- be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard kind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm. I must ask you not to scream," He whispered, "It might provoke them."

Everyone held their breath in anticipation as Lockhart whipped the cover off the cage. Everyone breathed out at once and looked at Lockhart like he was nuts.

"Freshly caught Cornish pixies! Devilish tricky little things," He said. The pixie were small, blue, and had very shrill voices. They had started to rocket around the cage angrily.

"Right, then, let's see what you can make of them!" Lockhart said loudly. He opened the door to the cage and the pixies shot out.

I watched, amused, as they rocketed around the room, tearing books, spilling ink, and terrifying my classmates. People were running around, throwing random hexes that had no effect whatsoever. Lockhart was hiding under his desk. Finally I pulled out my wand and stood up. I aimed my wand at the nearest group of pixies.

"Stupefy!" I shouted loudly. A jet of red light flew from my wand, striking the pixies and knocking them out. I grabbed the pixies and tossed them back in the cage. The rest of the class tried to mimic my charm but their spell wasn't as powerful as mine because they hadn't learned the spell yet. It was one of the ones I'd taught myself last year.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!"

I kept at it until all the pixies were knocked out and safely returned to their cage. Lockhart crawled out from under his desk, brushing off his robes.

"Amazing! Absolutely…_stunning!_" Lockhart cried. No one laughed at his crummy joke. They were all glaring at him reproachfully.

"For someone so young to have mastered the stunning spell! 10 points to Slytherin…though I do wish you'd let the rest of the class have a go," He remarked. It was all I could do to not hit him with a stunning spell. Luckily, the rest of the class didn't seem to share his opinion. They were looking at me with a mixture of wonder and gratitude. I sat down in my seat in the back of the room, trying to avoid their stares.

**Chapter 20**

It seemed to take forever for the day to end. After dinner I sat in the common room, listening to Jennifer tell me about her first day, until she decided to go to bed. I waited up until everyone was asleep and then I performed my Disillusioning charm and snuck out of the castle. If there was ever a time I needed to fly and relax this was it.

To my surprise I saw Snape come and sit at the edge of the lake. I wondered if he knew I was there. I decided to stay invisible until-

"Lockhart told me you took out a cage full of Cornish pixies single handedly," He said loudly. I landed with a thud beside him.

"How did you know I was here?" I demanded.

"You know I'll never tell you that. Make yourself visible, I want to talk to you."

"About the Cornish pixies?" I asked, tapping myself on the head with my wand.

"Yes. You used a stunning spell?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Where did you learn that?"

"In a book. Speaking of books- I don't think I'll be able to learn anything from Professor 'Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of _Witch Weekly's _Most-Charming-Smile Award' blah, blah, blah," I said in a mocking tone.

"Yes, he said you failed his written exam."

"That's because his books aren't worth the paper they're written on and his stories are…lies."

I had been on the verge of saying something more foul and Snape knew it. He laughed.

"How is that idiot supposed to prepare us for our end-of-the-year exam in Defense Against the Dark Arts…unless the whole exam is about him smiling at some damned banshee?" I demanded.

"I've never seen you this angry before, Casper," He said, and he sounded impressed.

"Yeah? Well-…" I fell silent. He was right- I didn't usually get angry. I took a moment to do some deep breathing and calm down.

"I take my exams seriously," I said quietly. He looked contemplative for a moment.

"What if-…What if I were to teach you Defense Against the Dark Arts?" He asked quietly.

"You?" I said, surprised.

"Of course. I've applied for that job ever since I first became a teacher at Hogwarts, but I always end up with Potions. I could teach you Defense Against the Dark Arts," He replied, "Of course there are certain conditions which-"

"I can't get caught or tell anyone, otherwise you'll throw me off the Astronomy tower, right?" I asked, smiling. To my surprise he smiled, too.

"Something like that. Of course this will probably mean you won't get much sleep…"

"Do I ever get any sleep anyway?"

"Hmm…I may need help preparing my lessons and whatnot if I'm going to be teaching you-"

"I can help do that," I said quickly.

"Then we have an agreement. Your lessons shall begin tomorrow night. Meet me in the Potions classroom at midnight," He instructed.

The next morning I was up bright and early with the rest of my class. I was groggy and tired, but breakfast helped a little. I had Charms and Transfiguration, both of which were extremely simple. After lunch I had Defense Against the Dark Arts where Lockhart decided to read passages from one of his books. I put my head down on my desk behind my own stack of books and fell asleep, unnoticed by anyone except Draco who prodded me awake when class was over.

At exactly midnight I opened the door to the Potions classroom, still invisible. Snape was sitting at his desk and when I shut the door behind me he stood up, wand in hand.

"Muffliato," He said, waving his wand at the door.

"What was that?" I asked curiously as I lifted my Disillusionment charm.

"A spell that I created when I was young. Anyone who passes that door will only hear a faint buzzing sound," He replied.

"Wow, you created a spell?" I asked, impressed.

"Quite a few. I may teach you some of them, but not tonight. Tell me- Do you know how to do a shield charm?" He inquired.

"No sir," I replied, shaking my head.

"The Shield Charm causes minor to moderate jinxes, curses, and hexes to rebound upon the attacker. With enough power it can also knock back anyone standing near it. Now, I want you to throw a stunning spell at me and I'm going to show you how to use the Shield Charm," Snape said, raising his wand. I raised my wand a little reluctantly.

"I want you to hit me with as much force as possible. Don't be scared," He said, smirking slightly.

"Huh. I'm not scared," I said defiantly, "_Stupefy_!"

A jet of red light shot towards him and at the last possible minute he cried "_Protego_!" and a shield erupted from his wand. The red light hit the shield, bounced off, and hit me in the stomach, immediately causing me to fly backwards and stunning me.

I was revived a moment later when Snape pointed his wand at me and murmured _'Ennervate'_. I sat up carefully, rubbing my stomach.

"That hurt," I groaned as I got shakily to my feet.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

"Never better."

"Were you even listening when I said it causes spells to rebound?"

"Well next time I'll know…and next time I also won't put so much force behind my spell…just in case," I said, "Do I get to try the Shield Charm now?"

"If you think you can do it."

We faced each other and raised our wands. The moment the stunning spell left his wand I shouted "Protego!"

I could feel the shield draining my energy as the spell reflected and Snape dodged it. It hit the wall harmlessly.

"Very good, Casper. Not excellent, but good. Let's try again."

We continued practicing for the next hour and I felt my energy being sapped slowly. Finally Snape called it quits.

"You've done well, Casper. I'm surprised at the amount of strength you have. I know you haven't slept much in probably two days, you had classes all day today, and you still have enough strength to practice all night? I'm impressed. You could probably go on, couldn't you?" He asked.

"Only if I had to. That's not entirely true, though- I slept in Lockhart's class today."

"Good for you. If you hurry back to your dormitory you can still get in a few hours of sleep before sunrise," Snape said, looking at his watch.

"Good idea. Should I come tomorrow night, too?" I asked him.

"Hmm. Better make it the night after."

"Fine by me."

I headed out the door after applying my Disillusionment Charm and returned to the Slytherin common room. It was still blessedly empty and I removed the charm before going up to bed. I fell asleep almost instantly. Then the dream started…

_I was running down a passageway. The walls were covered with slime, as was the floor. I was gasping for breath and slipping every few feet. Something was chasing me and I didn't know what it was. I could feel the vibrations of it through the floor. I knew that it was something big. REALLY big. I gasped when I reached a dead end and I had no choice but to turn around and face my pursuer. I searched frantically for my wand, but I didn't have one. I had my eyes clamped firmly shut against the terror. I knew that if I opened them I would face my own death. I could feel the presence of whatever it was, right in front of me. I had no choice but to open my eyes. All I could see before me was a pair of big yellow eyes with pupils for slits before…_

Someone was shaking me awake. I struggled for a moment, thinking it was the creature from my dream, but when I opened my eyes I saw it was Jen.

"Casper, are you alright?" She asked when I sat up. I was shaking terribly as I looked around the empty, sunlit dormitory.

"Did you have a bad dream?" She inquired, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"Something like that," I said, trying to calm myself.

"I let you sleep through breakfast, you were practically knocked out. When I came up here you were thrashing around and muttering," She said worriedly, "Do you need to go see the nurse?"

"No…no, I'm fine now," I assured her.

"Alright, well I've got to go to class. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. See you at lunchtime."

When she was gone I sank back against the pillows. I was going to be late for Herbology, but at this point I didn't care. I could still see those eyes from my dream. Big yellow eyes with slits for pupils…almost like snake eyes.

**Chapter 21**

The rest of the week passed quickly and by Saturday I was too scared to sleep at night time. Every time I went to sleep at night I would have that awful dream and, though I would probably never have admitted it to anyone, I was frightened…very frightened. I slept through most of Lockhart's classes because he never brought anymore live animals after the pixie incident, merely read passages from his books and occasionally acted them out. On Saturday I didn't go to sleep until 7:00am when the sun came up and I slept the entire day away until Jen woke me up for dinner time.

I sat at the table, eating chicken and peas while listening to Draco tell the entire Slytherin table how Ron Weasley had tried to curse him and ended up spending the whole afternoon puking up slugs because his wand had malfunctioned. He was also bragging to me about how he was the new Slytherin Seeker for the Quidditch team, but I wasn't listening. I was thinking about my classes with Snape. We were still working on shield charms.

I sat in the common room, reading my library book until almost 1am. Jen and a few fifth years were still awake, also reading or doing homework. Finally the fifth years left, but Jen remained. She had almost fallen asleep in her chair and I was about to pick up another book when I heard a blood-curdling voice.

"_Come…come to me…Let me rip you…Let me tear you…Let me kill you…"_

I leapt out of the chair and looked around wildly for the source of the voice. Jen opened her eyes when I leapt up.

"What's wrong?" She asked, stretching.

"That voice…"

"What voice?"

"The voice that said…didn't you hear it?"

"No, Casper. There wasn't any voice. Perhaps you dozed off?"

"Yeah…maybe," I said quietly, but in my heart I knew this wasn't the case. I had spent the entire day sleeping and I wasn't tired at all.

"Well, I'm going to bed. You coming?" Jen asked, heading for the dormitory.

"No, I've still got some reading to do. See you in the morning," I said briskly, picking up another book.

"If you wake up this time," She retorted, but she smiled before making her way through the door.

I thought about the voice all the way to Snape's classroom. Was I hearing voices? Jen said she hadn't heard it and I was pretty sure I believed her. …but why would there be a voice only I could hear? I wasn't crazy…was I?

Snape looked up when I entered. He was writing something with a eagle feather quill and he set it down when I walked in.

"I need you to help me grade some test papers before we begin. I gave the first years a written exam on Friday and I haven't got around to grading them," He said to me.

"Okay," I said as he handed me a stack of papers. I sat down in my usual desk in the front of the classroom and started to grade the papers. As I was grading them I considered telling Snape about what I had heard, but what if he thought I was crazy? Hearing voices no one else could hear was never a good thing. They sent you to the loony bin for things like that! But what about the nightmares? Maybe I could tell him about that? But no, that would mean admitting I was scared and I could never do that.

"Something troubling you, Casper?" Snape asked, looking up at me. I hadn't noticed I had stopped working.

"Uh…no sir. Nothing," I said quietly and got back to work. He continued to watch me for a moment more but I stayed focused on the test papers.

Finally we finished with all the papers as it was nearing 2:00am. Snape had already cast the Muffliato spell on the door and he cleared the tables out of the way.

"Now, Casper, I think the reason the shield charm is draining your energy is because you've been using it as soon as I shoot the stunning spell. When I first showed you the shield charm I waited until the last possible moment to project it. If you do that it won't sap your energy as much. Ready to try it?" He inquired. I nodded my head and we faced each other, wands raised.

"_Stupefy_!" He shouted.

"_Protego_!"

The shield deflected it and he dodged his own spell.

"Still too early," He said, "Let's try again. Stupefy!"

I tried to keep my eye on the spell and judge when it was close enough to use the charm, but when it got too close I had to dodge out of the way.

We continued this for the next hour and a half. Sometimes I would use the charm too early, but other times I would be forced to dodge out of the way because I had waited too late. I never managed to get it right. Finally, I thought I had gotten it right when WHAM his spell hit me in the stomach.

"_Ennervate_," Snape muttered, pointing his wand at me.

"I've got no depth perception!" I said angrily as soon as I had regained control of my body again.

"That is obvious. We've got to keep trying until you get it right."

"Fine," I said dragging myself to my feet, "Let's give it another go."

**Chapter 22**

October came quickly and by then I had managed to perfect my shield charm. Snape was very pleased. The nightmares had pretty much stopped, but I couldn't stay asleep for very long because I was scared the nightmares would come back. Unfortunately I awoke one Saturday morning with a scratchy throat and a bad cough. My head felt like it was the size of a hot-air balloon.

"You should go see Madam Pomfrey, the nurse," Jen insisted when she came into the dormitory after breakfast to find me coughing heavily.

"No," I croaked when I had stopped coughing for a moment, "I'm not going to the nurse. I hate doctors."

"What're you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid!" I insisted, "I just don't like doctors."

"Casper, there's been a wave of head colds throughout the castle. All you need is some Pepperup potion and you'll be fine. It works almost instantly," She said to me.

"A potion, huh?" I said, pausing to blow my nose on a tissue that she handed me, "There is only one person I'd take a potion from and that's Snape."

"Fine then, get dressed."

"Huh?"

"I'm taking you to find Professor Snape."

Despite my protestations I found myself hobbling down the dungeon corridor nearly fifteen minutes later with Jen at my side. I could barely stand up straight because the pressure in my head was making me dizzy so Jen let me lean on her shoulder. Snape wasn't in the Potions classroom so she took me to his office and knocked on the door. He opened the door and the moment he saw me he smirked.

"She's ill and she's afraid of doctors," Jen explained quickly.

"I'm not _afraid _of doctors," I objected, "I just don't like them. …I'm not afraid of anything!"

"She said she'd only take a potion from you so I brought her here. It wasn't easy," Jen said, ignoring me.

"I'll bet. If it weren't for you dragging her down here she'd probably just stay locked in the dormitory until Monday. She's very stubborn," Snape said as he grabbed a vial from one of the shelves and handed it to me, "Drink this."

I drank the entire contents of the bottle and began to feel better almost instantly. My sore throat was soothed and I felt my head beginning to shrink.

"Is smoke supposed to be coming out of her ears?" Jen asked worriedly.

"Yes. It'll stop after a while. You know, it's funny, but I could've sworn you told me you'd never drink anything I gave you, Casper?" Snape said to me.

"That was last year. Besides, I feel better, so I'm not worried," I replied, my voice no longer scratchy.

"I could list over a hundred potions that would make you feel better before killing you."

"So could I, and in alphabetical order," I retorted smugly and he smiled at me.

"So, Casper, are you well enough to help me with my levitation charm?" Jen asked me.

"Jen, the only thing I'm well enough to do is go back to sleep. I'll help you with your charm tomorrow, okay? I promise," I said to her.

Halloween seemed to arrive more quickly than I had expected. The entire school was excited. The Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats and huge pumpkins had been carved into jack-o-lanterns large enough for three or four people to sit inside of. I spent all of Halloween afternoon helping Jen with her Transfiguration homework. She'd already mastered the levitation spell, with my help.

At 7:00 we made our way down to the Great Hall for the feast along with everyone else in the school. Jen looked delighted as one of the bats swooped down and landed on her shoulder. The feast appeared in its usual magnificence of turkey, ham, peas, and all sorts of other delicious things.

"This is even better than the start of term feast," Jen remarked as she heaped more potatoes onto her plate. I nodded in agreement. Draco and the others were chattering about the upcoming Quidditch match.

"Why didn't you try out for the Quidditch team?" Jen asked me.

"I'm not _that _good of a flyer. …besides, I'm pretty sure they only let boys on the team," I replied quietly.

I was only able to eat a little bit of the pudding that came after dinner before I was beginning to feel tired. A few of the other Slytherins were heading back to the dormitory and Jen and I rose to follow them. When we were right outside the hall I heard the voice again.

"…_rip…tear…kill…" _Hissed the voice.

"There's that voice! Do you hear it?" I demanded, halting.

"What voice, Casper?" Jen asked, her smile fading.

"…_so hungry…for so long…I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD!"_

I rocketed up the staircase and Jen followed, bewildered. We passed the first floor and arrived at the second. At the end of the second-floor corridor stood three figures- Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Before them, on the wall, were words written in shinning paint. From the looks on their horrified faces I knew they hadn't put the words there. It said:

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

My stomach lurched when I saw what hung beneath- Filch's cat, Ms. Norris, stiff and frozen like she was dead.

"Oh my God," Jen whispered. The corridor soon filled with people who all stopped and fell silent, horrified. All, that is, except Draco Malfoy, who pushed his way to the front.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" He shouted. His usually pale face was flushed and he grinned at the sight of the hanging cat.

Undoubtedly attracted by Draco's shout Mr. Filch came running up the corridor.

"What's going on here? What's going on?" He demanded. When he got to the front of the crowd he saw Ms. Norris and fell back, clutching his face.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Ms. Norris?" He shrieked, then his eyes fell on Harry Potter, "_You! _You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll-"

"_Argus!"_

He was broken off by a shout from Dumbledore who strode up the passageway, followed by a number of other teachers, one of which was Snape. Jennifer and I quickly moved out of the way and blended into the crowd.

"Casper, what's going on?" Jen asked fearfully.

"Shh. That's what I'm going to find out," I whispered to her. I pulled out my wand and tapped myself on the head, performing my disillusionment charm. Jen let out a quiet gasp. Luckily no one else was looking at me, they were all looking at the cat.

"Stay here," I whispered to her, "and go back to the common room with the others."

She nodded as I walked away, following the crowd of teachers and Harry Potter to Gilderoy Lockhart's office.

**Chapter 23**

Snape, McGonagall, Lockhart, Potter, Weasley, Hermione, and my invisible self all followed Dumbledore into Lockhart's office. He shut the door behind us. I realized at once I was in a very compromising position. It was extremely cramped in here, if someone were to trod upon me by mistake I'd be discovered. Snape's eyes flicked to me as the door was shut. He knew I was here. He moved into the shadows and I walked soundlessly over to him. Dumbledore lay Ms. Norris on the polished surface of the desk and examined her through his spectacles, prodding and poking her. Professor McGonagall stood beside him, eyes narrowed as she examined the cat. Lockhart was hovering around, making suggestions.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her- probably the Transmorgifian Torture- I've seen it used many time, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter course that would have saved her…" Lockhart murmured. I doubted there was even such a thing as the Transmorgifian Torture. _If he doesn't shut up, I'm going to hex him, _I thought to myself.

"…I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou, a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared up the matter at once," Lockhart said. He began to count the number of deaths he'd prevented when I reached for my invisible wand. Snape grabbed my wrist with startling accuracy considering I was invisible.

"No, Casper," He whispered from the corner of his mouth. The sound of his voice was hidden from the others by the sounds of Filch sobbing and Gilderoy still talking.

"Let me hex him, just a little bit," I begged quietly. He was trying very hard not to smile.

"No. He's a Hogwarts teacher and you'll be caught," Snape said.

"She's not dead, Argus," Dumbledore said softly. The entire room fell silent, but Snape continued to hold my wrist.

"Not dead? But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?" Filch choked.

"She has been petrified, but how I cannot say…" Dumbledore said.

"Ask _him!_" Shrieked Filch, turning to Harry.

"No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly, "It would take dark magic of the most advanced-"

"He did it, he did it!" Filch spat, "You saw what he wrote on the wall! He found- in my office- he knows I'm a- I'm a- He knows I'm a squib!"

"I never _touched _Ms. Norris!" Harry said loudly, "And I don't even know what a Squib _is!_"

_That makes two of us, Potter, _I thought to myself, making a mental note to ask someone what a Squib was when I got the chance.

"Rubbish!" Snarled Filch, "He saw my Kwikispell letter!"

"If I might speak, Headmaster," Snape said suddenly. He released my invisible wrist as everyone turned to look at him, but he did not leave the shadows.

"Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," He said as if he did not believe this, "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione immediately launched into an explanation. Something about a death day party and ghosts.

"but why not join the feast afterwards?" said Snape, "Why go up to that corridor?"

Snape's black eyes were glittering in the faint candlelight that reached us in the shadows and the look on his face told me he was enjoying this.

"Because- because- because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," Harry said quickly.

"Without and supper?" Snape asked with a triumphant smile, "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."

"We weren't hungry," Ron said loudly, but his stomach chose that moment to growl loudly as if in protest to what he was saying. _They're all miserable liars, _I thought with a grin. Snape's smile widened.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Potter is not being entirely truthful. It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest," Snape said.

"Really, Severus," said McGonagall sharply, "I see no reason to stop the boy from playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter has done anything wrong."

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly. Snape and Filch both looked furious.

"My cat has been Petrified!" filch shrieked, "I want to see some _punishment!"_

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," Dumbledore said patiently, "Professor Sprout has recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Ms. Norris."

"I'll make it," Lockhart butted it, "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep-"

"Excuse me," said Snape icily, "but I believe _I _am the Potions master at this school."

I had to press my hand over my mouth to keep myself from laughing at the bewildered look on Lockhart's face in the eerie silence that followed. Dumbledore turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"you may go," He said to them, and they practically fled the room. I hung around for a moment, waiting for Snape to leave, but-

"Severus, I would like a word with you," Dumbledore said as Snape headed for the door. They both walked out into the corridor, followed by a silent and invisible me.

"You need to talk to her. Ask her what she knows about it…" Dumbledore said to Snape. I wondered who he was talking about. It definitely wasn't me because Dumbledore was not aware I was present, of that I was certain.

"I will, of course, but… she does not trust me," Snape replied slowly.

"You must make her trust you…and not by using a spell or a potion, either."

"Hmm. She hasn't said anything about something like that."

"Maybe she has. Maybe you just don't listen hard enough," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling mysteriously.

"You don't know that it has anything to do with her," Snape retorted quickly, "She wasn't even there."

"Perhaps not…but the Heir of Slytherin, Severus…you know as well as I do."

"Of course. I'll talk to her…but I'm not promising she'll talk to me."

"You can only do your best."

Dumbledore disappeared around one of the corners and Snape turned and headed for the Dungeon.

"What was _that _all about?" I whispered quietly, hoping no one would overhear us. Snape jumped slightly.

"I didn't realize you were standing so close to me," He said, "That was nothing for you to worry about. Did it ever occur to you that some conversations are supposed to be private?"

He didn't sound particularly irked about it though.

"Nope. I guess I was just born with an overload of curiosity and little to no consideration for other people's privacy," I replied with a smile he couldn't see because I was invisible.

"You mean you're nosy?"

"Yep. What's a Squib?" I asked, recalling my earlier question.

"A person born into a wizarding family who possess no magic of their own," He replied with a sigh.

"Oh. Poor Filch. Are we going to have a lesson tonight?" I inquired, changing the subject.

"No, I've got work to do for Dumbledore. You should get to bed," He said and then added as an afterthought, "…and don't try to follow me, either."

"Who, me?" I asked innocently.

**Chapter 24**

Jen was waiting up for me when I walked into the Slytherin common room. She had Gabriel in her lap and was petting him absentmindedly. Gabriel looked up when I entered, though I was still invisible.

"Is that you, Casper?" Jen asked anxiously.

"No it's the ghost of Christmas Past," I said jokingly as I removed my Disillusionment charm. She looked relieved and motioned for me to come sit beside her on the couch.

"I think your cat can see through Disillusionment charms. He looked up when you entered," She remarked, watching as Gabriel crawled into my lap.

"Yeah, I've gotten that impression myself."

"So, tell me what happened," Jen said to me. I repeated the entire story for her, omitting the fact that Snape knew I was there the whole time.

Over the next few days the school talked of nothing else but the attack on Ms. Norris. The Slytherins seemed especially excited by it and when I went to read the Legend of the Chamber of Secrets in my copy of _Hogwarts, A History, _I figured out why.

"So what is the Chamber of Secrets?" Jen asked as I finished reading and closed the book.

"Well, my book claims it is a 'legendary' chamber created by Salazar Slytherin himself. It is said that, before Slytherin left the school, he sealed up the chamber so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. They say he had some sort of monster that, when released, would purge the school of those that Salazar Slytherin deemed unworthy," I summarized for her.

"Unworthy in what way?" Jen asked, wrinkling her nose.

"You know- magic folk with muggle parents, and Squibs, too, I suppose," I said with a shrug, "the sorts you _never _see in Slytherin house."

"But you have a muggle cousin, don't you?" She asked carefully.

"Well, yeah, but my mum was a witch and my dad was a wizard," I said quickly, "So… I should still be considered pure blood, I guess."

"Depends on who your mum and dad are."

"I don't know my dad's name. My mum's name was Mary," I replied.

"Was Addams her last name?"

"I suppose so. My cousin doesn't talk about her."

"Is _his _last name Addams?"

"…yeah."

"So maybe you adopted their last name when you came to live with them. You should find out what your birth name was so we'll know if you're pureblood," Jen suggested.

"You wouldn't be in Slytherin if you weren't pure blood," Said a voice from behind us. It was Draco Malfoy, he'd been eavesdropping on our conversation without us realizing it.

"What do you mean?" Jen asked him.

"My father says there is no way a filthy little mudblood could get into Slytherin. It is not allowed," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh. Well I guess that answers that," Jen said brightly.

"Yep. Nobody from Slytherin is going to be harmed by the monster from the Chamber of Secrets," Draco said maliciously.

"Yeah…but then- who's the heir of Slytherin?" I wondered aloud. Jen and I both glanced at Draco, thinking about what he'd shouted in the corridor.

"It's not me," Draco said quickly, "I don't know who it is. I wish I did. My father won't tell me _anything _about it."

"Why not?" I inquired.

"Says it'll look suspicious if I know all about it," He replied with another eye roll, "I've got to go to Quidditch practice. See you later, Casper."

"That's right, the first Quidditch match is on Saturday…are you going, Casper?" Jen asked me.

"I haven't got anything better to do," I replied gloomily.

That night after everyone had gone to bed I snuck into the Potions classroom where Snape was waiting for me.

"I think it's time to work on something else besides shield charms," He said when I entered.

"_Finally! _What are we going to work on?" I inquired.

"Disarming. The incantation is _Expelliarmus _and with enough force it can be used to knock an opponent off his or her feet," He replied, "but if you don't use enough force the spell is virtually useless."

"Great. Are you going to show me first or just let me try it?"

"I think I'll show you first," He said with a smile, "Face me with your wand raised."

I faced him and raised my wand, his smile widened.

"Wait a minute, you're not going to-" I began.

"_Expelliarmus_!" He cried. I was thrown backwards with tremendous force and my wand flew from my hand. I landed painfully on my side on the cold, hard floor.

"I think you just enjoy beating the snot out of me," I said, getting to my feet. He handed me my wand, still smiling.

"You could have defended yourself if you had been paying attention," He replied.

"Mm, I'll remember that next time and _you _can go flying across the floor," I retorted.

"No such luck, it's your turn to try the disarming spell. I'll be the non-responding target once, so I know that you can use it…then I'll fight back."

"Oh boy. _Expelliarmus!_" I shouted, not holding back. He flew backwards against the wall and his wand flew towards me. I grabbed it before going to see if he was okay.

"Are you alright?" I asked anxiously. He stood up before I could reach him and brushed the dirt off his robes, wincing slightly.

"Never better. Great job, Casper," Snape replied, taking his wand back, "Now let's see how you do with an opponent who fights back."

We faced each other and I launched the first spell.

"_Expelliarmus!" _I shouted, not putting as much force behind it as I could have.

"_Protego!_" He cried before my spell hit him. It was deflected and I ducked out of the way before it could hit me.

"_Expelliarmus!_" I shouted again.

"_Stupefy._"

The spells collided and canceled each other out. We kept at it for most of an hour until finally-

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Snape went flying backwards and I snatched up his wand triumphantly.

"Good job," He said as he got to his feet.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, now stop asking me that. As if I'd really let a 12-year old hurt me," He said with a smirk. I tossed his wand at him and he grabbed it.

"Want to have another go?" I asked him.

"No, I think not. Let's go outside," He said, tapping me on the head with his wand. I felt the cold Disillusionment charm trickling down my back.

"Follow me, and be silent if we pass anyone in the hallways," He said opening the door.

"I'm always quiet in the hallways," I hissed at him, "Even Dumbledore didn't know I was there."

We walked down the hallways without saying anything, even though we didn't run into anyone. When we got out to the lake sat down on the ground. _I wish I could go flying, _I thought to myself.

"You can get a broomstick and fly, if you want to, but stay invisible," Snape said, as if answering my thoughts. I headed towards the broom shed, but paused.

"Are you sure you can't read minds?" I asked him. He laughed quietly and said nothing. He watched from a distance as I unlocked the broom shed and stole Potter's broomstick and continued to watch as I zoomed around for half an hour. I wondered how it must have looked to him- just a broomstick zooming around on its own, since I was still invisible and the charm didn't cover the broomstick. A while later I landed beside him.

"Why d'you take Potter's broomstick?" He asked me, "The Slytherin team has the newest Nimbus models. Draco's father bought them."

I shrugged my shoulders and then realized he couldn't see me.

"I dunno. I guess I'm used to Potter's broomstick," I replied.

**Chapter 25**

Saturday morning the entire school made its way down to the Quidditch field. The sky was grey and by the time the match started it began to rain and to make matters worse I had woken up with another sore throat.

"I think someone's tampered with that bludger," Jen said to me. I had my face down so I would get rain in my eyes, and I was trying to think of a spell to stop the rain from falling on me.

"What bludger?" I asked hoarsely, looking up.

"The one that's trying to knock Potter off his broom…not that I'm complaining," She added quickly. I watched as, through the rain, a medium-sized ball chased persistently after Harry Potter. I hung my head again, feeling ill.

"Are you okay, Casper?" Jen asked me.

"I don't fell too good, but I'll survive," I replied. She pursed her lips but looked away as Slytherin scored another goal.

A few minutes later I was forced to look up by the cheers from the Slytherins and the shocked and worried gasps from the rest of the crowd. The Bludger had probably broken Potter's arm because he was holding it at a weird angle. Suddenly Potter dived for Draco. He'd obviously seen the golden Snitch. Draco thought Potter was attacking him and dodged out of the way.

"Draco, you idiot, he's seen the Snitch!" I shouted loudly as the rest of the Slytherin crowd groaned loudly. Potter had gotten the Snitch, but his broomstick was headed straight for the ground because he couldn't hold it and he hit the mud with a SPLAT that echoed throughout the stadium, drawing another cheer from most of the Slytherins.

The rest of the day we heard rumors that Potter had broken his arm but before he could get to the hospital wing Gilderoy Lockhart had appeared on the scene and removed the bones from his arm. Potter was now in the hospital wing, re-growing all 33 bones in his left arm.

"Sounds painful, but as it's Potter…" Jen said when I told her.

"Right. If it had been me I'd hex that teacher the moment I'd regained use of my arm. Hell, I'd probably just hex him with my other arm. It takes every ounce of my willpower not to do it now," I said to her. She laughed at me, but I was dead serious.

Later that night I was helping Snape grade papers again. It was later than usual because a lot of people were still awake, talking about the miserable defeat of Slytherin, and of course about Potter's mishap. Finally we finished the papers and were about to start practicing the disarming spell once more when there was a loud knock on the classroom door. I donned my Disillusionment charm and pressed myself into a corner as Snape opened the door. Dumbledore walked in looking unusually grave.

"There has been another attack, Severus. A first-year boy from Gryffindor by the name of Colin Creevey. He was found petrified on the staircase with a bunch of grapes beside him. We think he was trying to sneak up and see Harry in the hospital wing," Dumbledore said.

"Ah. Isn't that the boy who carries the camera? Did he manage to get a picture of his attacker?" Snape asked him. Dumbledore shook his head.

"No. The film was melted," He replied, "I think that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

"But, who-?"

"You know as well as I do, Severus, that-"

"I really must disagree, Albus. I've talked to her. She doesn't know anything. She could not have…"

"We thought the same thing last time. Where is she now?"

"Asleep. She must be."

"Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked, blue eyes blazing.

"I'll ask the others tomorrow, but…I really don't think it's her."

"Very well. I trust your judgment, Severus. Perhaps there is some piece of crucial information I am overlooking…" Dumbledore murmured, "Goodnight."

Dumbledore left and Snape closed the door behind him. His jaw was clenched and he looked like he was thinking hard about something.

"Did you see anything on your way here?" He asked me.

"No sir," I said quietly, "But I didn't have to go up the staircase."

"Of course not. I'm afraid I've got some work to do, Casper, so your lesson will have to be postponed."

"Of course. Goodnight then," I said, walking towards the door. I peeked my head out and looked both ways to make sure Dumbledore hadn't lingered, before I hurried out of the classroom and to the Slytherin common room.

By the next morning word of the attack was spreading around the school. Most of the first-years were terrified, even some of those in Slytherin, but not Jen…though she did tend to stick close to my side afterwards.

December came quickly and on the fourth day of December I was eating breakfast when an owl dropped an envelope on my head. I recognized Anthony's handwriting immediately and tore it open.

_Casper,_

_Amy had the baby yesterday morning. We named him Dylan Lee Addams and he weighs 9 pounds exactly. He has a little bit of black hair and his eyes are the same color as yours. He must have inherited the gene from grandma- she and Mary both had silver eyes, but my mother doesn't. _

_The main reason I'm writing is to tell you we won't be home at Christmas. We're taking the baby to see my mom in France, so you'll probably have to stay at your school over the holidays. We'll send you presents from France._

_Love,_

_Anthony_

"Cool, a baby!" Jen exclaimed, reading the letter over my shoulder. I folded up the letter and stuffed it back into the envelope.

"Not cool. All babies do is eat and cry and poop," I said with a frown, "And I'll probably end up taking care of it."

"You can always come stay at my house for Christmas," She offered, "I'm an only child."

"No thanks. I'll stay here and go to the Christmas feast. Probably Hogwarts will be empty- parents will want their kids home since the attack," I replied, "And I'm an only child as well. That baby isn't my brother."

**Chapter 26**

The second week in December the Heads of the houses took up the names of those staying at Hogwarts over the holidays. I couldn't help but notice the list was extremely short. Draco was staying, which was unusual, and so were Crabbe and Goyle. Jen was going home, however, because her family was having some huge get together.

Nothing particularly interesting happened in December until one Thursday afternoon when we were having double Potions with the Gryffindors. We were brewing up Swelling Solutions and while mine was stewing I watched Draco flick puffer-fish eyes at Potter and his friends. I turned to add some more fluxweed to my potion when I heard something begin to fizz and sputter. I turned just in time to see something go flying into Goyle's cauldron. I grabbed my wand as the cauldron exploded and before I had time to think I shouted "_Protego!_" and formed a shield with my wand to keep myself from being splashed by his potion. It worked wonderfully and more than half of the class was splashed with Swelling Solution. Draco's nose had begun to swell like a balloon and some others had arms the size of hams. Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what happened.

"Silence! SILENCE! Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draft- when I find out who did this-" He growled.

I didn't know who had done it, but I knew that if he ever found out who was responsible their fate would be a terrible one. Causing chaos in Snape's class was a very dangerous thing- probably someone's idea of a clever joke.

A lot of cauldrons were knocked over as people headed towards Snape's desk, including my own, and I sat up on top of my desk to avoid having my feet splashed. I was highly annoyed because I'd had a perfect Swelling Solution and I didn't want it to go to waste. When everyone was properly deflated Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out something black and twisted that at one point might have been a firework.

"If I ever find out who threw this I shall _make sure _that person is expelled," Snape whispered, looking straight at Harry Potter. _I highly doubt that. If Snape ever finds out who threw that there won't be enough left of that person to expel, _I thought with a hidden smile. The bell rang a moment later and everyone else practically flew out of the classroom. Snape turned to face me where I was still sitting on top of my desk.

"Why haven't you cleaned that up? You know the spell," He said, still sounding annoyed.

"Because I had a perfect Swelling Solution before some idiot knocked it over and I wanted you to see it before I cleared it away," I replied sulkily.

"Ah. I saw it beforehand. I know you had it correct. You can clear it away," He said to me. I waved my wand and said "_Evanesco" _and the potion cleared away immediately.

"I can help you clear up the rest of this mess if you'd like," I said quietly. A lot of people had spilled their cauldrons and almost everyone had left potion ingredients on the tables.

"Thank you, Casper. Did you see who shot the firework, by any chance?" He asked as he started to clear away potion ingredients.

"No. All I saw was something fly into Goyle's cauldron," I said, clearing away the rest of the potions that had spilled.

"Yes. I saw your shield charm, by the way, nice work," He said approvingly, "Your reaction time was incredible."

I blushed faintly and didn't say anything.

"Okay, that's _definitely _not a Swelling Solution," I said, pointing to a puddle of something on the floor that resembled dog vomit. Snape walked over curiously and wrinkled his nose.

"That is Longbottom's potion. I'm surprised that it's not eating a whole in the stone floor," He said with a sneer. I laughed faintly before clearing it away.

About a week later I saw a notice on the bulletin board that said Hogwarts was starting a Dueling Club, probably so people could learn defense. I had already decided not to go since I was already learning that sort of thing with Snape, but at breakfast Jen's owl, Aaron, landed not on her shoulder but on mine. The note had my name on it in an unfamiliar, sleek handwriting.

_Casper,_

_You should go to the Dueling Club meeting, You might find it interesting._

I glanced up to the Head Table where Snape sat with the other teachers. He smiled slightly and nodded to me. I nodded back and tucked the note into my pocket.

"Who was that from?" Jen asked interestedly.

"No one," I said quickly. She'd been too busy munching bacon to read over my shoulder.

At eight o'clock I hurried down to the Great Hall with Draco and a few others from Slytherin. Jen stuck close to my side, slightly anxious. The long dining tables that were usually there had vanished and been replaced with a golden stage along one wall, lit by the thousands of candles floating overhead. Most of the school seemed to be packed in the hall, all carrying wands and looking excited.

"I wonder who's going to be teaching us?" Draco said to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Maybe Flitwick. Someone was telling me he was a dueling champ back in the day," Jen said from beside me. I didn't respond… I had a pretty good idea who was going to be teaching us.

I looked up to see Gilderoy Lockhart walking up on stage, dressed in deep purple robes. He was followed by Snape, dressed in his usual black. Lockhart waved his arm for silence.

"Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent! Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions- for full details see my published works.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry- you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" Lockhart said, flashing us all a smile. _Oh boy, _I thought, smiling wickedly, _Snape is going to tear this idiot to shreds. That's why he sent me that note. _

Snape's upper lip was curling and he had an evil glint in his eye that I had never seen before. His overall appearance was terrifying and a few people backed nervously away from the stage.

"If Snape was looking at me like that I'd be running in the opposite direction as fast as possible. Why is Lockhart still smiling?" Jen whispered in my ear.

"If he was looking at me like that I'd probably melt into the floor…or spontaneously burst into flames," I whispered back. She giggled.

**Chapter 27**

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; Lockhart in a twirly, girlish fashion and Snape merely with a jerk of his head. They raised their wands like swords in front of them.

"as you see," said Lockhart to the silent crowd, "We are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I seriously doubt that," Jen said quietly. I was nearly breathless with anticipation.

"I want to see Snape blast that idiot to smithereens," I said in a low voice.

"One--two--three--"

They both swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at each other. Snape cried _"Expelliarmus!" _and there was a brilliant flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet. He flew backwards off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it, collapsing on the floor. I cheered along with some of the other Slytherins. _He's been holding back in our lessons! _I thought to myself, _There was A LOT of force behind that Disarming Spell. More than he ever used with me._

"That was wicked awesome!" Jen said, her eyes bright with excitement. We all watched as Lockhart got unsteadily to his feet and tottered back towards the stage. His hat had fallen off and his hair was standing up like he'd received an electric shock.

"Well, there you have it!" Lockhart said, "That was a Disarming Charm- as you see, I've lost my wand- ah, thank you, Miss Brown- yes, and excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy- however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see…"

Snape looked as murderous as I felt. Lockhart was such a liar! There was no way Lockhart could have stopped Snape's spell. I had only done it a few times and I had strongly suspected that Snape let me block those spells. Probably Lockhart noticed Snape's venomous look because he turned quickly to the crowd.

"Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape if you'd like to help me-" Lockhart said. They both started to move through the crowd. I looked towards Snape, hoping he would pair me with Jen, but Lockhart appeared first. Jen moved instinctively closer to my side.

"Oh no. I wouldn't dream of putting a first-year with a witch as powerful as Miss. Addams. You've probably already mastered the Disarming Spell, haven't you?" He asked, winking at me, "Jennifer, why don't you go over there. Casper, you can work with…ah, Jacob Richard."

Jacob Richard turned out to be a very large Gryffindor boy who was probably three years older than me and nearly six times as large. He didn't look particularly nice either.

Lockhart made his way back to the stage and faced the crowd again.

"Face you partners! And bow!" Lockhart commanded. I faced Jacob and we bowed slightly to each other.

"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart, "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm you opponents- _only _to disarm them- we don't want any accidents- one…two…three-"

"_Expelliarmus!" _Shouted Jacob. I searched my mind frantically and could only come up with one spell.

"_Protego!_" I yelled at the last minute. Jacob's spell reflected back on him, but he dodged it just in time.

"_Relashio!_" He shouted, but I ducked and shot a stunning spell at him with my full force.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd, but I barely heard him. Jacob was back on his feet and shooting various hexes at me. I shot them back at him with my Shield Charm. He kept using stronger and stronger hexes that I continued to block until one penetrated my shield and I had to duck and ended up sprawled on the floor. Furious, I leapt to my feet, wand raised.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" I shouted with as much force as I could. It was the Body-bind curse and it hit Jacob full force and he fell to the ground, frozen like a statue. All those around us stopped to stare at me. Whispers stormed around me like "She's petrified him" "She the Heir of Slytherin" and a whole bunch of crap.

"He's not completely petrified, you idiots," I growled. I marched over to Jacob, pointed my wand at him, and said _"Ennervate!"_

Jacob stood up shakily and backed away from me. Everyone had stopped battling and Lockhart was sweeping through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels.

"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," Lockhart said, sounding flustered,"Let's have a volunteer pair- Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you-"

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, walking over to the middle of the room, "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wind in a matchbox. How about Malfoy and Potter?"

"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, urging Harry and Draco to the middle of the room. The crowd backed away to give them more room.

"Now Harry," said Lockhart, "When Draco points his wand at you, you do _this._"

Lockhart raised his wand, attempted some sort of complicated wiggle, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart swooped it up saying "Whoops- my wand is a little overexcited-"

Snape moved closer to Draco and whispered something in his ear and Draco smirked, too. Potter looked nervous.

"Just do what I did, Harry!" Lockhart said, clapping Harry merrily on the shoulder.

"What, drop my wand?" Harry asked sarcastically, but Lockhart wasn't listening.

"Three-two-one- go!" Lockhart shouted.

Draco raised his wand quickly and shouted "_Serpensortia!_"

A long, black snake shot out of his wand. A few people screamed, but I merely watched. I wasn't afraid of snakes.

"Don't move, Potter," Snape said lazily, enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, face-to-face with a serpent, "I'll get rid of it…"

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He waved his wand at snake. There was a loud bang and the snake flew ten feet in the air and landed near me and that Finch-Fletchley kid.

"_I will bite! Bite and kill!" _The snake said in a weird, hissing language that I could hear distinctly. The snake made a move towards me.

"_You will not bite me,_" I whispered quietly so that no one else could hear. The snake nodded as if it understood, and turned on Finch-Fletchley. Potter walked across the room and in the same language as the snake had used said _"Leave him alone!" _and miraculously the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a garden hose. I relaxed slightly, knowing the snake wouldn't harm anyone now. Potter looked up at Finch-Fletchley, grinning, but Finch-Fletchley looked angry and scared.

"What do you think you're playing at?" he shouted and then ran from the hall. Potter looked as puzzled as I felt. Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake disappeared in a puff of black smoke. He was also looking at Potter in an unexpected way. It was a sharp and calculating look. There was an ominous muttered around the hall. I slunk away from them and found Jen against one of the back walls.

"What just happened?" I whispered quietly.

"Potter just hissed at that snake and chased it towards that Justin kid," She said, eyes wide. Everyone else seemed to be saying pretty much the same thing. I realized with a start that the only person who fully understood what was said was me.

The hall emptied slowly as one by one the students made their way out of the hall. I cast my Disillusionment Charm in the midst of the crowd and made my way over to Snape who was still frowning, not having moved an inch since Potter left the room. I tugged on his sleeve to let him know I was there since he obviously wasn't paying enough attention to know that I was there. He looked over to me, nodded, and led me out of the Great Hall and onto the castle grounds.

"What just happened?" I asked faintly, "Potter spoke to that snake, didn't he?"

"Yes. It's called Parseltongue and it's not a very common gift among wizards. I only know of two- Salazar Slytherin and the Dark Lord. They were both Parselmouths," He replied, frowning again.

"Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth?"

"Yes. That's why the symbol of Slytherin house is a snake. They called Slytherin himself serpent-tongue."

"but how could Potter have…"

"It had to have been when the Dark Lord tried to kill him. Dumbledore said a long time ago that Harry may have inherited some of the Dark Lord's powers when he tried to kill him. This must be what he meant…"

"So there are no other Parselmouths?" I asked curiously.

"Not to my knowledge."

My stomach felt queasy and I was very confused, but of one thing I was certain- somehow, I could speak Parseltongue.

**Chapter 28**

I didn't bother getting up that night to go outside or to see if Snape was going to teach me anything. I had a feeling he wasn't going to be there anyway. I lay in bed and for almost two hours thoughts raced through my brain. The main thought that kept reoccurring was- Am I the Heir of Slytherin?

When I finally did fall asleep I started to have the nightmare, but it changed drastically.

_I was running through the passageway and when I got to the end of it I stopped and turned around fearlessly._

"_You will not harm me!" I hissed in the snake-language. _

"_I must…kill…" The monster said._

"_Not me! Go after someone else…not me!" I shouted at it._

"_Mudbloods…"_

I awoke suddenly, sweating and breathing heavily. My heart was pounding. It was barely morning and I could hear a very heavy snowstorm was just outside. It took me a moment to calm down but I felt horrible. I had sent the monster after mudbloods…

When Jen woke up she came over to my bed. I was awake, staring straight ahead while thoughts continued to race through my mind.

"Casper, what's wrong?" She asked me.

"Nothing," I said hoarsely, "I'm just tired."

"Okay. I'll come get you after breakfast," She said quietly, heading out of the dormitory.

She returned an hour later and I still had not moved.

"Casper, you have to get up. We have classes today," She said desperately.

"Can't. I'm too tired," I muttered.

"Are you ill?"

"No."

"Should I go get the nurse?"

"No."

"Should I go get Professor Snape?"

I paused a moment before answering.

"No," I said finally, "Just leave me alone. I'll deal with my teachers later."

I slept most of the day away restlessly, tossing and turning. Jen came back to me sometime in the afternoon.

"Someone else was attacked," She said miserably. I struggled to a sitting position.

"Who?" I demanded.

"That boy- Justin Finch-Fletchley, and the Gryffindor ghost, Sir Nicholas," She replied. Justin…yesterday I had told the snake not to bite me and it had gone after Justin, just like the monster in my dream. I sank back onto my pillows. Gabriel appeared out of nowhere, and climbed onto my stomach, meowing worriedly. I didn't say anything to him and he began to purr in a reassuring manner.

"Casper, if you don't get up I'm going to get Professor Snape," Jen said frowning.

"Whatever. Boys can't come into the girl's dormitory. It's bewitched," I said tonelessly.

"Oh. Will you just tell me what's wrong?" She demanded.

"No."

"You have trust issues!" She shouted at me, and stomped out of the dormitory.

My brain kicked into gear a moment later. I couldn't let her be angry with me. She was my only friend. I could not have some sort of mental breakdown. Furious with myself I got up, got dressed, and went into the common room. Jen was sitting in a chair in the corner.

"Sorry," I said to her, "I'm up now."

"Good," She said, looking relieved, "Will you tell me what was wrong?"

"No. You don't need to worry about it," I assured her, "What's been going on today?"

"Well everyone seems to think Harry Potter is the heir of Slytherin. And…uh…oh yeah, there's a blizzard outside," She said softly. Draco burst into the common room just then.

"Casper, Professor Snape wants to see you in his office," He said quickly before darting back outside. Jen and I exchanged a quizzical frown and I shrugged my shoulders.

I walked down to Snape's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter," He said softly. I opened the door and walked in, feeling like I was in trouble for something but not knowing what.

"Ah. Casper. Where have you been all day?" He asked me.

"Sleeping. I…felt ill this morning," I said quickly.

"Mm-hmm…you missed all of your classes. Your teachers were concerned."

"Oh. Sorry. I can do make-up work or something…"

He waved his hand dismissively.

"I'm not worried about the work," He said, "Forget the work. I want to know what's wrong with you. You don't normally sleep at all, so I know you haven't been sleeping all day. You have bags under your eyes. You're pale-"

"-I'm always pale," I interrupted him, "It's because I don't go outside during the day. I detest sunlight."

"My point is- you look like something is bothering you. You look almost ill…"

"I'm fine. Everyone needs to stop worrying about me…I'm fine," I said gloomily. He let out a sigh and shook his head.

Christmas came quickly after that and almost no one stayed at the school during the holidays. I awoke Christmas morning all by myself, feeling better than usual. There hadn't been an attack in weeks. I was the only person still in the dormitory and there were a few presents at the foot of my bed. There A box filled with Chocolate Frogs from Jenny. Anthony and Amy had sent me a necklace from France. It had a small silver bat pendant on it that had rubies for eyes.

Even someone who might be the Heir of Slytherin couldn't help but enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts. There were a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe across the ceiling. Enchanted snow that was warm and dry fell from the ceiling and Dumbledore led the students in a few of his favorite carols. Draco was making snide comments about Potter's sweater, which Crabbe and Goyle laughed at. I merely sat by myself, eating my food, and thinking about my upcoming class with Snape. He'd promised to teach me a spell that he'd invented when he was in school, probably trying to cheer me up. I hoped it didn't have anything to do with snakes.

I met Snape that night in the Potions classroom, earlier than normal. Since there weren't a lot of people who had remained over the holidays I didn't have to wait long for the common room to empty.

"I'm going to teach you a nonverbal spell that I created," Snape said when I walked in.

"Nonverbal?"

"It means you need only think the spell for it to work."

"Okay. What does the spell do?"

"It suspends your opponent upside down by the ankles until you say the counter curse which is also a nonverbal spell created by me," He replied.

"Alright. What's the spell?"

"_Levicorpus. _Of course since it is a nonverbal spell it makes it more difficult to block since it is not easy to anticipate. Allow me to demonstrate-" He said, raising his wand.

"Wait- Aah!"

I was upside down in the air and the blood was rushing to my face. Even upside down I could see Snape was smirking.

"Alright, you've had your fun now let me down," I said, crossing my arms and trying to look dignified. He laughed and I scowled at him. If I hadn't dropped my wand on the floor I probably would have shot a spell at him.

"I think I like you better upside down," He said jokingly, "You can't throw curses at me."

I searched my pockets furiously for something to throw at him and found one of the Chocolate Frogs Jen had given me for Christmas. I chunked it at him, but it missed his head by a few inches. He laughed again.

"Alright, I'll let you down," He said, waving his wand. I landed on the ground with a painful thud. I snatched up my wand and pointed it at him.

"_Levicorpus!_" I shouted. Nothing happened.

"A _non_verbal spell, Casper," He said menacingly.

"Oh. Right," I said sheepishly. _Levicorpus, _I thought furiously. There was a flash of light and Snape was up in the air.

"Good job. The counter spell is _Liberacorpus. _It is also nonverbal," He said to me. _Liberacorpus, _I thought, waving my wand. He plummeted to the ground.

We worked on the _Levicorpus _spell for a few days until he said that I had mastered it. He seemed proud of me and I didn't feel sad and depressed anymore. When the students came back from the Holidays a rumor spread across the school that Hermione Granger had been attacked, but that wasn't true. She _was _in the hospital wing, but nobody knew from what. Either way she returned to her classes a few weeks later, looking completely normal.

**Chapter 29**

With the coming of February also came Valentine's Day. We went down to the Great Hall for breakfast on the morning of the 14th to a most revolting sight. The walls were covered with huge, shocking pink flowers and heart shaped confetti was drifting down from the ceiling and clinging to everyone and everything. When Jen and I sat down, too appalled to speak, I looked up at Snape. He looked as though he'd just swallowed something unpleasant. When I saw who was sitting beside him I knew why. Professor Lockhart wearing pink robes the same color as the flowers was waving for silence.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted, "And may I thank the 46 people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all- and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a bunch of unhappy-looking dwarfs wearing golden wings and carrying hearts.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart, "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter in the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion? And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

I almost didn't hear the part about Flitwick because I was trying so hard to stifle my laughter by putting my fists in my mouth. Snape looked as if the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be cursed into oblivion.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that I got a chance to tease him about what Lockhart had said. I was passing him in the hallway after my last class of the day and immediately turned on my heel to walk with him towards the library.

"So…How many Love Potions have you brewed up today, Snape?" I asked, smirking. He didn't respond.

"Come on, tell me how to 'whip up a Love Potion'," I said imitating Lockhart's enthusiasm.

"Enough, Casper," He said with a frown, "Have you received any Valentine's?"

"Of course not, I _hate _Valentine's Day," I retorted surly. We were passing by the Transfiguration classroom as a class of first years was being let out when one of the winged cupid-dwarfs grabbed my wrist.

"I am here to deliver your friendly singing Valentine," said the dwarf.

"Who, me?" I asked blankly.

"Mm-hmm, here goes:

"_Roses are red, violets are blue,_

_Nothing compares with how I feel for you._

_Lilies are white Daffodils are yellow_

_When I see you my heart feels mellow_

_How I wish you were mine_

_Your Secret Valentine."_

The hall full of first-years had burst out laughing and Snape turned away to hide a smirk. I snatched my arm away from the dwarf and fled from the spot. Snape caught up with me a moment later.

"Don't be so sour, Casper," He said fighting a smile, "_Secret Valentine…"_

He started to laugh at me and I resisted the urge to knock him upside the head.

"If I ever find out who sent that I'll kill them," I grunted unhappily.

The Easter Holidays weren't a time to relax for any of the second years. We had to make the decision of what classes to sign up for next year. Draco was at my side constantly, telling me what classes he was picking. Finally I fled the common room and decided to ask Snape what he thought.

"Care of Magical Creatures is good to have, especially since you were raised by Muggles and don't know a lot about the different creatures, but the Professor is leaving after this year so I don't know who you'll have for that. Divination is good, too, if you can manage to stay awake long enough. Are you good with numbers?" Snape asked me.

"Sort of," I said with a shrug.

"Then go for Arithmancy as well," He said. I signed up for all of the classes he recommended.

On Saturday morning Jen and I were making our way down to the Quidditch field for the match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. As soon as we walked out of our dungeon common room I paused.

"_Kill this time…let me rip…tear…"_

"Casper are you okay? You just turned really white. Well, whiter than usual," Jen said. I was silent for a moment, not sure if I'd heard it.

"I'm fine," I said quickly, shaking my head to clear it, "Let's go."

We sat in the stands, watching the players warm up. They were about to start playing when Professor McGonagall ran onto the field, carrying a purple megaphone.

"This match has been cancelled. All students are to make their way back to the house common rooms where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!" Professor McGonagall said. Amidst the boos of the crowd I leaned over to whisper in Jen's ear.

"Something's happened. I'm going to go check it out," I hissed quietly. She nodded as I tapped myself on the dead discreetly and made my way invisibly over to where Snape and the other teachers were sitting in the stands. Professor Dumbledore was standing before them, speaking.

"There has been another attack. A double attack. Miss Hermione Granger, of Gryffindor, and Miss Penelope Clearwater, of Ravenclaw, are both in the Hospital wing. There are a new set of rules and regulations which I much ask the Heads of Houses to inform their students of," Dumbledore said to the teachers. Dumbledore waved his wand and a sheet of parchment appeared in Snape's hand as well as the hands of the other Heads of Houses.

Snape knew I was beside him as we walked back towards the common room, but neither of us said anything. I was in quiet shock. I had heard the monster before going out to the Quidditch pitch, hadn't I? Could I have stopped it from happening? Would anyone have believed me? Snape's eyes were narrowed and he was thinking about something.

The common room was packed with loud children when we entered. I snuck off to a corner where Jen was and lifted my Disillusionment charm. Silence fell over the crowd as Snape unrolled the parchment, given to him by Dumbledore, and began to speak.

"Two students were attacked this morning and the Headmaster has given me a new set of rules which you all will follow.

"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitory after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities," He read before rolling the parchment up. There were a few disgruntled murmurs from the Quidditch team, but otherwise silence.

"I am under the obligation to advise you that if you know anything about the attacks you should come forward and say something. Also, the corridors will be patrolled by various teachers, and if anyone gets caught out of the common room after 6:00 in the evening they will be severely punished," Snape said lazily. His eyes locked on to mine and I nodded my head in understanding. If I was going to sneak out I had to be extra careful.

That night I didn't bother sneaking out at all, which turned out to be a bad decision because sometime during the night the Minister of Magic, along with Lucius Draco, appeared to take Hagrid to Azkaban, the wizards prison. Apparently it was he who had let the monster out of the chamber last time, or so they seemed to think. Dumbledore was also told to step down as Headmaster and by the next morning he was gone. Fear spread out throughout the rest of the school like never before. Slytherin alone seem immune to it and Draco was bragging to everyone how his father had gotten rid of Dumbledore. It annoyed me until one day in Potions class he was bragging to Crabbe and Goyle when Snape walked past them. Draco looked up.

"Sir," he said loudly, "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"

Snape couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile.

"Now, now, Malfoy," he said, "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."

"Yeah, right," said Draco with a smirk, "I expect you'd have father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job- _I'll _tell father you're the best teacher here, sir-"

Snape swept off around the dungeons, smirking, as he checked the rest of our potions.

**Chapter 30**

I was sitting in the common room later that night, reading a book I had checked out from the library a long time ago called _Dangerous Creatures with Deadly Abilities _when I found something that nearly made me drop the book. I moved into better light and read the passage silently.

"_Basilisks are very dangerous creatures, growing up to over twenty feet in size. Aside from their fangs, which contain a deadly poison, the basilisk also has a deadly stare. Any who look it directly in the eye perish instantly. The basilisk is hatched from a chicken's egg beneath a toad and can live for many hundreds of years."_

I closed the book in silent awe. It all made sense. If a basilisk was the monster it would explain why I could hear the voice no one else could hear. It also made sense that, in my nightmares, I had known I would die if I looked at the creature. I looked around and spotted Draco sitting in one of the high-backed chairs.

"Draco? What all has your father told you about the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened?" I asked curiously. He stood up and walked over to me eagerly.

"Not much. He said that the person was caught and expelled after a girl died," He said.

"A girl died?"

"Yeah. They found her body in a bathroom without a mark on her. I guess it was that oaf Hagrid's doings, since the Minister took him off. Father won't tell me anything more," He replied, shrugging his shoulders. At that moment Jen walked in from the dormitory and Draco walked away.

"Did Draco say something about someone who died in a bathroom?" Jen asked curiously as she sat down beside me.

"A long, long time ago," I replied.

"Oh. I was just wondering because a fifth-year girl told me about a ghost that haunts a toilet on the second floor," She said.

"Really? What's the ghosts name?" I asked, trying to sound only mildly interested.

"Moaning Myrtle. She's why the bathroom keeps getting flooded. It was flooded the night of the attack on Ms. Norris," Jen recalled, "Myrtle has crying episodes."

It wasn't until early the next morning that the common room was empty. It was almost dawn when I donned my Disillusionment Charm and left the common room. I went to the second floor bathroom, avoiding all the teachers on guard duty, and quietly opened the door. The moment I took of my disillusionment charm a ghost flew out of one of the stalls.

"Who are you?" She asked sulkily, "No one comes in here anymore."

"My name is Casper. Casper Addams," I said to her.

"Oh. What do you want? Come to make fun of me?" She asked, her eyes tearing up.

"No, not at all. I came to ask you about the day you died. I want to know what killed you," I said quickly.

"Ooh," She said, blushing faintly, "I don't know what killed me. I suppose it must have been some sort of spell. All I remember is seeing a pair of big, yellow, eyes that had slits for pupils, over there by the sink."

I walked over to the sink she had pointed to. On one of the taps was a small, engraved snake. I recalled the language I heard the snake use in the Dueling club and took a deep breath.

"_Open," _I hissed quietly in Parseltongue. To my surprise and delight the tap began to glow, then the whole sink vanished, leaving a large pipe exposed. I stepped closer for a better look, slipped, and fell headfirst into the pipe. It was like going down a slimy slide that had no end. There were curves and other pipes branching off in various direction. Finally I shot out of the pipe and landed with a painful thud on the damp floor of some sort of underground tunnel. It reminded me strongly of a sewer. I pulled out my wand.

"_Lumos!_" I said quietly, and my wand tip lit up, illuminating the underground passage. I looked back into the pipe from where I'd come, but there was no easy way to climb back out, so I turned to face the passage in front of me.

"there must be another way out," I whispered to myself, not liking the way my voice echoed off the walls. I began to walk forward, all alone.

A while later I saw a dark shape of something ahead. Something that appeared at first to be a snake, but on closer inspection turned out only to be its skin. I continued to walk on, not feeling very brave at all, and hoping to God there was a way out of this place.

Finally I came to a solid wall. Carved onto the wall were two serpents, intertwined, with emeralds for eyes. I knew immediately what I had to do.

"_Open,_" I hissed in Parseltongue. The snakes slid apart and the wall cracked open, revealing a chamber. I took a deep breath and walked in.

The chamber was dimly lit and there were dozens of pillars with more carved snakes. I walked as silently as possible until I came to the center of the room where stood a giant, stone statue of Salazar Slytherin.

"_So…this is the Chamber of Secrets," _I said aloud. I was speaking Parseltongue without meaning to because of the carved snakes around me.

"_Yes…and who are you?" _Asked a voice from behind me. I spun around to see the faint outline of a black-haired boy. He didn't quiet look like a ghost. It was almost like there was a fog surrounding him. He was speaking Parseltongue as well.

"_My name is Casper. Who are you?" _I asked faintly.

"_My name is Tom. Tom Riddle. Not that it will do you any good. None wander into the Basilisk's hiding place…but I am curious. How is it you can speak Parseltongue?"_

"_I thought…I thought maybe it was because I was the Heir of Slytherin," _I admitted. Something about him made it impossible for me to tell anything but the truth. The boy laughed loudly.

"_You are not the Heir of Slytherin! I am! It is I who have been sending the basilisk to kill mudbloods throughout the school._ _I did it the last time, too. 50 years ago," _He said.

"_Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid I'll tell someone?"_

"_Oh, you won't be telling anyone because you will not be leaving the Chamber of Secrets. The basilisk has lain dormant for 50 years and he hungers for blood."_

The boy turned to face the statue of Salazar Slytherin and he spoke to it.

"_Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four!" _The boy said. I watched, awestruck, as the statue's mouth opened, revealing a large black hole. Something stirred and I watched something green emerge from the hole. I closed my eyes firmly so that I wouldn't accidentally look in its eyes.

"I don't have time to play with you, Casper. I'm too busy planning my next attack," Tom said and he turned to the basilisk and hissed, _"Kill her!"_

I turned away and squinted through my eyelids as I ran from the basilisk. I could hear it coming up behind me. I ran into the passageway from whence I'd come. The light in my wand had gone out and I couldn't stop to relight it. I was running through the darkness with the basilisk chasing me. I tripped over something that I recognized to be the snakeskin from earlier. I went crashing to the floor and skidded a few feet. I scrambled to my feet and continued to run, though I was quickly running out of energy.

Finally I got to the pipe I had slid down earlier. There was no where else to go. I turned to face the basilisk.

"_Leave me alone! I am the Heir of Slytherin and you will not harm me!" _I shouted, keeping my eyes firmly shut. I didn't really believe I was the Heir of Slytherin. Not anymore. I heard the snake pause.

"_Yes, master," _It hissed, and I heard it turn and slither off. I opened my eyes in relief and looked up the pipe. I needed a way to get back up there, but I doubted it could be done unless I was flying. I pointed my wand at myself and hopped this would work like I thought.

"_Wingardium Leviosa,_" I said waving my wand. I felt myself float into the air unsteadily. Then, keeping my wand pointed at myself, I half-floated half-dragged myself up the long pipe. It took forever but eventually I made it back to the top. Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be seen and I left the bathroom.

**Chapter 31**

I wondered where all the teachers were as I made my way to Snape's office. Weren't they supposed to be on guard duty? Ah, well, my head hurt too much to think about it right now. I was exhausted and covered in muck and slime. When I reached the door to his office I knocked quietly, trembling from sheer exhaustion.

"Enter," He said softly. I pushed the door open with the last bit of strength I had. Snape leapt to his feet when he saw me.

"Casper! What-?" He began, but I held up one slime-covered hand for silence.

"I am ready to trust you and be truthful-…The Chamber of Secrets is real. I am a Parselmouth. …but I am _not _the heir of Slytherin," I said thickly, not certain I was even speaking English. Then I sank to floor, unconscious.

When I awoke it was a very long while later. I was laying on a cot in the corner of his office. Every inch of my body hurt, even my eyelids. Snape, who sitting at his desk, noticed I was awake almost immediately and handed me a potion.

"Drink this…and then tell me what happened," He said softly. The potion made me feel better almost immediately and I struggled to a sitting position. I told him everything. I told him how I had heard the voice no one else could hear, how I had nightmares about things that hadn't happened, how I thought I was crazy, how I had found out I was a Parselmouth, and how I thought I was the Heir of Slytherin until I met Tom Riddle.

"He plans on killing someone," I said quickly, "We've got to tell…Dumbledore…or someone!"

"Relax, Casper," He said soothingly, "It's all been taken care of. Potter and his friend Weasley found the Chamber of Secrets and rescued Ginny Weasley, the girl he planned to kill. Potter also killed the basilisk and destroyed the diary in which the memory of Tom Riddle was preserved."

"Oh. …Why didn't you take me to the hospital wing?" I asked quietly.

"You don't like doctors. I figured you'd prefer just to take some of that potion and get some rest, since you weren't mortally wounded."

"Oh…thanks…" I murmured.

"And no one need know about your visit to the Chamber of Secrets, if you would prefer, since you don't like being the center of attention."

"Good."

There was an odd silence in which I wondered what to do next.

"They're having a feast in the Great Hall to celebrate. You should probably clean up before you go down, though- you're still covered with muck," He said to me.

"Okay."

I stood up and walked towards the door. I paused halfway out the door.

"Professor Snape?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Casper?"

"Who is Tom Riddle?"

Snape paused for a moment and contemplated telling me what he knew.

"Tom Riddle is the Dark Lord, though there are few who recall him by that name," He said finally, "and he is the true Heir of Slytherin."

I nodded once and left.

Instead of going down to join the feast after I had cleaned myself up, I sat down in a chair in the common room to contemplate what had happened. I didn't have to contemplate long because about five minutes later the door opened and Jen walked in.

"There you are, Casper, I've been looking all over for you! Did you hear about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?" She asked, sitting down beside me.

"Yeah. I heard," I said quietly.

"Where've you been?"

I paused for a moment, glanced around the empty common room, and then told her the entire story. I told her things I'd previously hidden, like my lessons with Snape and me sneaking out at night. I told her about me being a Parselmouth and about going into the Chamber of Secrets.

"- and you are only one of two people who know, besides myself, and you must never tell anyone what I've just told you," I said in closure. Her eyes were wide and she was speechless for a moment.

"Well…I knew you were sneaking out. I noticed your bed would be empty and you wouldn't be in the common room. I just didn't know where you went. I figured you had a secret boyfriend," She said with a smile. I blushed scarlet and shook my head.

"No way! I don't have a boyfriend," I muttered.

"Are you hungry? They might not have finished the pudding yet at the feast," Jen said.

"No, I'm not hungry. I'm just a little tired is all," I said with a shrug.

Exams had been cancelled as a special treat, much to my disgruntled disappointment. It was also announced that Gilderoy Lockhart would be unable to return next year, due to an unfortunate incident in the Chamber of Secrets, involving a misfired memory charm. Pretty soon, life at Hogwarts returned to normal, aside from the fact that Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were now cancelled. On my last night at Hogwarts before summer vacation I was sitting in the common room, trying to finish my library book, when Gabriel appeared out of nowhere. I was shocked to see he held a note in his mouth and when I unrolled it, I recognized the handwriting.

_Casper, _

_Meet in my office at midnight. There is one thing I'd like to teach you before the school year is over._

As soon as I read the note it burst into flames, leaving nothing but ashes so the note could not be read by anyone else. I looked down at Gabriel who was staring at me with unblinking eyes.

"How did he manage to send this by you?" I asked the cat. Gabriel meowed and jumped up into my lap. I checked my watch. It was nearing midnight.

"Sorry, Gabriel, I've gotta go," I said, putting him on the floor. I put on my Disillusionment charm and left the common room.

**Chapter 32**

He was waiting patiently for me in the Potions classroom, leaning casually against his desk. I walked in silently and removed my Disillusionment charm.

"What's up?" I asked, walking over to where he stood.

"Tell me, Casper- do you know what a Dementor is?" He asked me. I searched my memory.

"Soul-sucking creatures that guard Azkaban, the wizards prison, right?"

"Correct," He replied, "Do you know what a patronus is?"

"No," I said shaking my head.

"A patronus is a creature with the ability to chase away dementors. They often take the shape of a creature the caster is most similar to, or a creature that has special meaning to the caster."

"Okay…why would I need to chase away dementors?" I asked, frowning.

"Just something Dumbledore said…you may not have to worry about it…still, it's a handy thing to know and it'll truly test your abilities. Many full-grown wizards cannot cast a corporeal patronus," He said.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot. Just show me how," I said with a shrug. Snape pointed his wand towards the wall and seemed to concentrate for a moment before saying "_Expecto Patronum!"_

A silvery jet of light shot out of his wand and took the shape of…a deer. A female deer.

"Funny…I expected a snake or something," I said, watching his patronus run around the room. He didn't say anything in response, merely waved his wand and the patronus disappeared.

"You have to concentrate on a happy memory. It is difficult when facing a dementor because dementors suck the happiness out of you," Snape explained.

"Right. Give me a minute to think of a happy memory. That could take a while," I muttered. I decided on the first time I flew on a broomstick by myself and tried to recall the exact thrill I'd felt.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" I said, giving my wand a flick. Something silvery shot out of the end, but it didn't take the form of any animal, it merely disintegrated.

"What happened?" I asked Snape, puzzled.

"Your memory wasn't happy enough. Try again," He encouraged. I concentrated harder and chose the night at the Dueling club when Snape had knocked Lockhart off the stage. That had made me extremely happy. It wasn't difficult to recall the feeling- just thinking about it still made me happy. I smiled as I flicked my wand again and said, _"Expecto Patronum._"

This time there was more of the silvery substance and it took the form of a huge, silver, four-legged beast.

"What is that?" I wondered aloud, "A lion?"

"No. A tiger," Snape answered, "See where the stripes are a darker shade of silver?"

He was right, I could see the stripes, but I was also held spell bound by its eyes which were a brilliant greenish-yellow color. It wandered around the room for a moment, looking for a dementor, I suppose, before disappearing.

"Very good. I knew you could do it," Snape said approvingly, "No other second-year in the world has accomplished as much as you, as far as magic goes."

I blushed faintly and turned my head away from his compliments.

The next morning all the students climbed aboard the Hogwart's Express to make their way back home. Jennifer and I shared a compartment and when the trolley came we bought a whole bunch of candy.

"So, did you have a good first year, Jen?" I asked her as I bit into a Chocolate Frog.

"I think so, yeah. You know, Casper, I've been thinking- if you want to come and hang out at my house this summer you'd be more than welcome. I already asked mum and she said it'd be fine," She said to me.

"That'd be great," I said enthusiastically, "I've never been in a house where an actual witch and wizard live. I'd offer to let you come and stay, but with the baby there it'd probably be a drag."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot your cousin had a baby. How old is he now?"

"6 months," I said, quickly doing the math in my head.

"I'll bet he's cute," She crooned happily.

"Maybe," I grumbled. Gabriel, who was sitting in my lap, purring, suddenly sat up and took a swipe at my Chocolate Frog. Jen's owl, Aaron, was sitting in his cage, hooting happily.

Jen and I got off the train together and walked through onto the Platform. There was a large crowd of bustling Muggles and then I spotted Amy. She was carrying the baby in a little carrier and she looked tired, but happy.

"That must be your cousin," Jen said, following me over to them.

"Hello Casper. Who's your friend?" Amy asked, looking at Jen.

"This is Jen. Jen this is my cousin Amy," I said, but I wasn't looking at them. I was peering into the baby carrier. He was sleeping, at first, and his little baby face was frowned up. I could see the wispy, black hair on top of his head. I leaned down to get a closer look and he opened a pair of silver eyes and looked up at me. His eyes were a little darker than mine, not as bright. More of a steely grey than silver. He smiled suddenly and I felt my heart melt.

"Aw, How cute! What's his name again?" Jen asked, crouching down beside me.

"Dylan Lee Addams," I said with a smile.

"Still think babies are gross?" She inquired.

"Not this baby. Can I hold him?" I asked Amy. She nodded and I lifted him gently out of the carrier. I held him for a moment and he continued to smile at me.

"This is going to be a good summer," I said, kissing his forehead.


	3. Book 3

_**2 months later…**_

**Chapter 33**

Adjusting to life after Hogwarts was a little more difficult than usual considering the fact that there was a baby in the house. He woke me up every three hours during the night, crying, but I was more than happy to get up and make him a bottle. I would then sit in the rocking chair and feed him, stopping every three ounces to burp him. Besides doing my homework from school I spent a lot of my time reading some of Amy's baby books. Whenever Anthony was home, which was still rarely, Amy made the point of telling him how good I was with Dylan. Anthony said that he was proud of me. I was so glad that he was speaking to me again that I didn't even care that he never mentioned my school. 

My birthday had come late in June along with a birthday card from Jen and a new box of Chocolate Frogs, delivered to me by Aaron the owl. Anthony and Amy had given me a card and a second-hand, fictional book about vampires written by a muggle. I had read about _real _vampires in the library at my school, but I pretended to enjoy this fictional book as well. We had even less money than usual, considering we now had to buy formula and diapers for Dylan, but I tried to make the best of it, even if it meant eating canned peas for lunch everyday. 

Late in July came the letters from Hogwarts, along with a new booklist and something extra. I read the letter by the light of the lamp in Dylan's room as I rocked him to sleep. 

_Dear Miss. Addams,_

_Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform 9 ¾ at eleven o'clock._

_Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign._

_A list of books for next school year is enclosed._

_Yours sincerely,_

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall,

_Deputy Headmistress_

I pulled out the Hogsmeade form and thought about it. It'd be great to visit Hogsmeade, an entirely wizarding village. I decided to give the form to Amy to sign first thing in the morning. 

The next evening after getting Amy to sign the form and then stowing it upstairs in my trunk, I lay down in the middle of the floor to play with Dylan. He was laying on my stomach and I was making funny faces at him, causing him to laugh and squeal delightedly. Amy had gone to the store to buy some more formula and left me with Dylan. I lifted him into the air and he squealed with delight. He smelled wonderfully of baby powder and lotion. 

"Whee!" I said as I brought him back down on my stomach. He smiled his toothless, slobbery smile. I made another silly face and he shrieked happily again, drool dripping down his chin and onto my black T-shirt. 

A faint laugh from behind me made me sit up and whirl around with Dylan clutched firmly to my chest. It was only Snape, leaning against the doorjamb and smirking slightly. 

"Did I startle you?" He asked me.

"Hardly. Give me another two seconds and I'd have grabbed my wand," I retorted, "What are you doing here?"

"What I'm _always _doing here in July- taking you to get your school things," He said as if this should be obvious. I got up off the floor and went to sit in the chair.

"I can't go anywhere until Amy gets back from the store. I have to take care of this little guy," I said, gazing fondly at Dylan who was smiling up at Snape. 

"Your brother?"

"Might as well be," I said with a shrug, "My foster brother, at any rate. Would you like to hold him?"

"I think not. What's his name?"

"Dylan Lee Addams." 

"Ah. Have you heard the news?" Snape asked me.

"What news?"

"About the escaped murderer, Sirius Black."

"I saw something about it on the muggle news. What's that got to do with us?"

"He's a wizard. He escaped from Azkaban," He replied. He pulled out a folded up newspaper and handed it to me. I held Dylan in my lap while I read the article.

**BLACK STILL AT LARGE**

Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner

Ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding

Capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.

"We are doing all that we can to capture Black," 

Said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this

Morning, "and we beg the magical community to 

remain calm." 

Fudge has been criticized by some members of

The International Federation of Warlocks for in-

Forming the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.

"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an

Irritable Fudge, "Black is mad. He's a danger to

Anyone who crosses him, Magic or Muggle. I have

The Prime Minister's assurance that he will not 

Breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone.

And let's face it- who'd believe him if he did?"

While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying

A gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use

To kill each other), the magical community lives in

Fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when

Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.

"Thirteen people?" I asked, shocked, "With only one curse?"

"Yes," Snape said quietly, "Sirius Black was a supposed supporter of the Dark Lord. He betrayed Potter's parents to the Dark Lord and had them killed. The Ministry of Magic had Black cornered in a street full of people and blasted away half the street. He killed a dozen Muggles who'd gotten in the way and a wizard. When the reinforcements from the Ministry came he went quiet as anything, laughing his head off the entire way to Azkaban."

"Does Potter know?" I asked, eyes wide.

"I doubt it," He said with a sneer, "Potter lacks the perception to understand such things. I doubt anyone's told him."

Dylan, who was still sitting in my lap, giggled suddenly and looked towards the front door. A moment later, in walked Amy, carrying a paper sack filled with formula and diapers. She spotted Snape immediately and nearly dropped her bag of groceries.

"Hello. I suppose you're here to take Casper to get her school things?" Amy said weakly, setting the bag down on the counter. Snape nodded curtly. 

"Very well," Amy said as I handed Dylan to her. I looked down at my shirt which was covered in baby drool and blushed instinctively. 

"I'm going to change my shirt real quick," I said, running up the stairs. It took me a moment to find a clean shirt and I ran a comb through my hair before rushing back down stairs. I followed Snape outside as he conjured up broomsticks for us. 

**Chapter 34**

"Dumbledore's suspicions were right," Snape said to me as we were flying, "Since Black's escape there have been Dementors everywhere looking for him. They're surrounding all the entrances to and from Hogwarts. Dumbledore's furious."

"Why are they there if Dumbledore's furious about it?" I asked curiously. 

"Because Dumbledore agreed to it, of course. A lot of people think Black may have escaped Azkaban to come after Harry Potter. To finish off what the Dark Lord started."

"What's so special about Potter that everyone seems to want to kill him?" I demanded, frowning. _Present company excepted, _I thought to myself. I'd heard that in our First-year Snape had tried to save Potter when Quirrel cursed his broomstick during a Quidditch match. Snape looked at me with an unusual expression on his face before shrugging his shoulders and not saying anything. 

By the time we reached Diagon Alley I'd gotten horrible sunburn on my face from flying above the clouds and I wasn't feeling too happy about it. More than anything in the world I hated getting burned and, due to my flawless, fair skin, I detested sunlight. 

After a quick stop by Gringotts to get some more of my money, we went to Flourish and Blotts, the bookshop. 

"Why don't you let me go on my own like I normally do?" I asked, puzzled, as we walked towards the bookshop. He didn't say anything and I frowned.

"It's not like I'm going to be attacked by Dementors or Sirius Black," I added.

"I'm not taking any chances. Dumbledore said to stay with you and that's what I'm going to do," He retorted.

"Since when do you do what Dumbledore says," I grumbled, but not loud enough for him to hear. 

When we entered the bookshop I immediately spotted a cage full of books that appeared to be alive and were biting anything they could get their teeth into, including each other. The letters across the covers of the books said it was the _Monster book of Monsters._ It was a very alarming sight and the manager looked as if he was about to cry when I told him that the book was on my list. I watched, fascinated, as the man put on a pair of very thick gloves and grabbed a stick. He opened the cage and grabbed one of the books while simultaneously keeping the others back with a large stick. He slammed the cage shut and tied the book shut with a piece of string before handing it to me. The book seemed to be growling disgustedly but it was unable to bite me. Snape was walking along the bookshelves, gathering the other books I needed. I was about to join him when I heard a voice call my name-

"Casper!" 

I whirled around to find myself face to face with my best friend, Jennifer. I looked around but did not see her mother or anyone else. 

"Jen! You shouldn't be by yourself, not with that murderer running around. Where's your mum?" I asked her.

"Who knows?" She said, rolling her eyes, "And what about you- you're alone."

"Nope," I said, pointing to the book shelves behind us. Snape walked around the corner at that moment and handed me the other four books on my list, _Unfogging the Future _by Cassandra Vablatskey, _Intermediate Transfiguration, _and _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 3. _

"You know, none of your books seem to be about Defense Against the Dark Arts, either," Jen said as she read the covers, "Maybe they didn't get a new teacher."

I looked up at Snape whose jaw had clenched when she mentioned the teaching position he had always coveted.

"Oh, they got someone alright," He muttered, "I'm not allowed to tell you who."

"Okay. Jen, have you gotten your books already?" I asked her. She nodded her head and we approached the counter to pay for our books. 

We went to all the various shops, getting our school supplies, with Snape following behind us, ever alert for danger. 

"I've got to go into _Madame Malkin's_," Jen said as we approached it, "I've grown since last year."

I looked her over carefully and saw what she meant. She was now almost an inch taller than me whereas we'd been the same height at the beginning of last year.

"I haven't grown at all," I said miserably, "There are first-years who are taller than me!"

Jen smiled sympathetically, but I could have sworn I heard Snape snicker and I shot him a death glare over my shoulder. He smiled. 

As we were heading into Madame Malkin's Jen's mum found us.

"Are you ready to go yet, Jen?" Her mum asked irritably.

"Almost. I've got to get some new robes," She replied timidly. Her mother ushered her impatiently into Madame Malkin's.

"Bye, Casper!" Jen called back to me, "See you at school!"

"Are you ready to go now?" Snape asked me.

"Yeah, I guess so," I replied with a sigh. He pulled out his wand and tapped the books and things I had bought. They disappeared and I knew that they would be waiting for me at the house.

An hour later I was back at my house along with all of my school things. Amy had already put Dylan to sleep for the night so I was free to go up to my room and read through my new books. The book for Divination excited me most of all. It talked about the various signs and symbols and what they meant. 

**Chapter 35**

September 1st found me quickly and by 10:45am I was at the train station, walking through the Platform. I had spent a lot of time saying good-bye to Dylan, even though he was too young to understand it, and promising him I would be back soon. Jen found me as soon as I walked through onto the Platform and she and I hurried to an empty compartment near the back of the train. As soon as we were in the compartment I let Gabriel out of his cat carrier. Jen set Aaron's cage on the seat beside her. 

"Let's go ahead and change into our robes," she suggested, "That way we won't have to worry about it later."

"Good idea," I said, rummaging through my trunk to find my robes. We changed quickly and then sat down to relax as the train took off.

"So, how was your summer?" I asked her.

"Pretty boring. I actually ended up going to stay with my Gram-gram in America for a little while. She's a witch, too, but she's surrounded herself with muggle stuff. She even has a TV," She replied with a snort, "and electrical lamps."

"Oh. Mostly all I did was take care of Dylan, that's why I never came to visit you. He's such a sweet baby," I said fondly, "It's going to be hard to be away from him for so long…"

"Do you have a picture?" 

I shook my head no.

As the train headed farther North the rain thickened and the windows became grey. Lanterns flickered to life throughout the train as it got darker. Suddenly, without warning, the train began to slow down. 

"What's going on? Have we broken down?" Jen asked, trying to look out the fogged window, "We can't be there yet."

"No, I don't think we're-"

Suddenly the lamps went out and we were plunged into total darkness. We heard whispers all throughout the train.

"Casper, where are you?" Jen asked, sounding panicky.

"No worries, I'm here," I said, grabbing her hand. With my other hand I grabbed my wand out of my pocket.

"_Lumos!_" I whispered, and our compartment was flooded with a dim blue light. Jen was still looking out the window anxiously.

"Something's moving out there," She whispered to me. I scrambled closer to get a look at it.

"It's coming aboard," I said quietly. Suddenly the compartment door slid open with a loud bang. We whirled around and found ourselves face to face with some sort of creature in billowing black robes. Everything went really cold all of a sudden and I felt it sink into my skin, into my lungs, and into my heart…I had only seconds to think and it didn't take long to figure out what it was- a Dementor. I focused on a happy thought- playing with Dylan on the floor in the living room.

"_Expecto Patronum!" _I shouted loudly. The silvery tiger sprang from my wand with a roar and launched itself at the Dementor. The Dementor turned and fled down the corridor with my Patronus chasing after it. I sank back onto the seat weakly. 

"What was _that_?" Jen asked shakily, her blue eyes wide.

"The hooded thing was a dementor. What I used to chase it away was a Patronus," I replied.

"A real Patronus? A lot of full-grown wizards can't make a real Patronus!" She exclaimed.

"I know. Don't make a big deal out of it. I'm not supposed to be able to do one…but apparently I'm stronger than most wizards," I said quietly. 

The lights flickered back on a moment later and the train began to move. I could see now that Jen was shivering still and she looked very pale. My Patronus walked back through the closed door just then and shook its head before disappearing. The door opened seconds later and a man wearing shabby grey robes looked at us.

"Which one of you cast the Patronus?" He asked. Jen was in no fit state to say anything so I raised a hand shakily.

"I did," I said quietly. 

"Impossible! …are you a first year?"

"No! I'm just an unnaturally small third-year," I said, eyes flashing angrily. I _hated _being called a first-year.

"But…even third-years can't make a Patronus…who taught you?" He asked, amazed. 

"No one. I taught myself," I lied quickly. 

"Hmm…"

He spotted Jen who was still shivering and walked over to her. He took out what appeared to be a bar of chocolate and gave half to her and half to me.

"Eat this. It will help," He said to us. Then he left. Jen ate her chocolate warily at first and then gobbled it up.

"It…it really does help," She said, sounding surprised. The color came back into her face and she stopped shaking. I handed her mine.

"I don't need it. I'm fine," I assured her. 

The train stopped a little while later and we all hurried off the train. I led Jen over to where the carriages were waiting for us.

"What pulls the carriages?" She asked anxiously as it began to move us towards the castle.

"I'm not sure," I murmured. 

As we passed through the wrought iron gates I saw three more Dementors who didn't dare come any closer. When the carriage pulled to a halt I jumped out, splattering in the mud, and then turned around to help Jen down. We turned when we heard the malicious voice of Draco Malfoy.

"You _fainted _Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually _fainted?_" Draco asked. He elbowed past a bunch of students and blocked Potter's way up the stairs. 

"Shove off, Malfoy," Said Ron Weasley.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley? Did the scary old dementor frighten you too?" Draco sneered.

"Is there a problem?" Said a mild voice. It was the man from the train, getting out of one of the carriages.

"Oh, no-er-_Professor,_" Draco said sarcastically. He elbowed Crabbe and Goyle in the ribs and they snickered as they made their way up into the castle. 

It felt wonderful to be sitting in the Great Hall in the gentle candlelight. I hardly paid any attention at all to the sorting. When Dumbledore stood up and began to speak I sat up to listen.

"Welcome!' said Dumbledore, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by out excellent feast…

"As you will all be aware after the search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business. They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody should leave the school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises- or even Invisibility Cloaks. 

"It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the Prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors.

"On a happier note. I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Professor Lupin was the man in shabby robes from the train. He looked particularly bland compared to all the other teachers who were dressed in their best robes. As my eyes swept along the High Table I saw Snape was staring at Lupin with a look of pure loathing- a look normally reserved for Potter, but worse. It startled me. 

"As to our second appointment," Dumbledore continued, oblivious to Snape's deadly expression, "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his game keeping duties."

Gryffindor table erupted into a particularly loud applause which the Slytherins did not share.

"They've got that oaf teaching classes?" Draco sneered, "He'll be sacked by the end of the week."

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore, "Let the feast begin!"

The plates and goblets suddenly filled with the usual magnificent food and drink. 

When the feast was over I slipped away from the crowd and walked over to the High Table, waiting for Snape. 

"I heard what happened on the train," He said as we walked slowly towards the dungeons.

"What?" 

"I overheard _Professor _Lupin telling Professor McGonagall about an extremely small third-year girl who had produced a tiger-shaped Patronus," He replied. I shrugged my shoulders and donned and innocent look as if to say 'I wonder who that could've been'. 

"I know it was you, Casper, and truth be told I am proud of you. You faced a real live Dementor and still managed to produce a full-fledged Patronus without getting swamped with dread and unhappiness," He said with a faint smile.

"I'm always swamped with dread and unhappiness," I grumbled. 

"Hmm."

"So, what's the deal with you and the scruffy Lupin guy?" I asked, changing the subject. 

His eyes narrowed involuntarily and I saw his teeth clench. He considered something for a moment and then shook his head.

"Let's just say we have an extended past," He said finally. 

**Chapter 36**

The very next morning I had my very first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with Professor Lupin. It was just the third year Slytherins and as we waited for Professor Lupin to arrive, Draco went on about the state of Lupin's hair and robes. When the door opened, however, Draco sat down instantly. 

"Good morning, students. If you will please put your books away and take out your wands. Today will be a practical lesson," Professor Lupin said. Even Draco couldn't not look curious as we stowed our books away and took out our wands. 

"Right. Now, if you'll follow me please," Lupin said when everyone was ready. Puzzled we all stood up and followed him. He led us along the empty corridor and around a corner. Then he led us down a second corridor and stopped right outside the staff room door.

"Inside, please," said Lupin, opening the door and ushering us all inside. The staff room was a long paneled room full of mismatched chairs. Much to my surprise Snape was sitting in one of the arm chairs. He looked up and smiled slightly at me when I walked in. 

"You don't mind if I stay, Lupin? I'm rather curious to see how my students will do in your very first class," Snape said in a low voice. Lupin nodded his head in acceptance and turned to face the class, all of whom were looking apprehensively at a wardrobe in the corner that was shaking madly. A few of my classmates looked anxious. 

"Nothing to worry about," Lupin said, "It's only a boggart." 

In seconds I recalled every detail I'd ever read about boggarts while my classmates continued to look uneasy. 

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Lupin, "closets, cupboards, and beneath beds. This one moved in late last night and I asked the headmaster if I might have it to give all my third-years a bit of practice. So, my first question for you all is- What _is _a boggart?"

No one seemed to know the answer or want to answer him. Lupin turned to me.

"I'll bet you know- Casper, wasn't it?" He said to me. I flushed slightly as the entire class looked at me. I looked desperately at Snape who shrugged his shoulders, unable to help me. 

"Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever the person it faces fears most of all," I muttered, looking down. 

"Right on, Casper. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he's alone, but when he comes out he'll take the shape of whatever each of us fears. Therefore, we have a huge advantage over the boggart to begin with. Do you know what that is?" He asked, looking at me. 

"It'll get confused and won't know what to turn into because there's so many of us," I murmured quietly.

"Excellent. Now, the charm that repels a boggart is simple, but what really drives it nuts is laughter. You must force the boggart to assume a shape that you find amusing. We'll practice the charm without wands first. Repeat after me, please…_riddikulus_!"

"_Riddikulus,_" repeated the class clearly. 

"Good, very good. I'll give you all a moment to think of what you fear most so that you'll all be prepared to face the boggart when you're time comes," Lupin said. The room was filled with a hush of people whispering to themselves. When Lupin had his back to me I sidled up to Snape. 

"I don't know what I fear most," I whispered.

"I thought it was doctors," He said in an undertone.

"How many times to I have to tell you- I'm not afraid of doctors, I just despise them."

"Oh. What about mummies?"

"Not scary."

"Vampires?"

"They're wicked awesome."

"Snakes?"

I frowned at him.

"I'm a _Parselmouth, _of course I'm not afraid of snakes!" I hissed at him. 

"Alright, everyone ready?" Lupin said loudly. Most of the class nodded and I was forced to join them as they formed a line. Somehow I got pushed to the front. I had my wand in my hand and I didn't know what was about to come out of that wardrobe. Lupin opened the door and something floated out. For a moment it hung like a barely visible mist. From the corner of my eye I saw Snape mouth the word 'sunlight'. When the word was in my mind the mist took the form of the sun and I shielded my eyes. _How to make sunlight less scary? _I thought to myself as a few of my classmates snickered and whispered. 'Encase it in ice' Came the thought in my mind, almost like someone had whispered it. 

"_Riddikulus!_" I said firmly, waving my wand. The blinding orb was suddenly encased in ice, resembling something like a very large orange. 

"You're afraid of sunlight?" Said a sneering voice. I turned my head slightly to see Pansy Parkinson, a third-year girl whom I'd never spoken to before, but knew by sight.

"I don't like to get burned," I said quietly but firmly. She giggled nastily and I frowned as I moved away from the boggart. The next person stepped forward and with a crack the boggart took the shape of a lion. I walked over to Snape.

"That was bizarre," I said, referring to my sun-boggart.

"They probably all think you're some sort of vampire now," He replied absently, watching as the lion's whiskers and tail fell off. 

"Humph," I grumbled, sitting down cross-legged on the floor. 

I looked up when Draco was up lastly and watched as the boggart turned into…a werewolf. I looked up at Snape who was staring, not at Draco, but at Lupin. Lupin had gone sort of rigid and when the werewolf let out a howl he clapped his hands over his ears. Draco had stumbled backwards away from the boggart-werewolf and Lupin stepped forward. The werewolf disappeared with a crack and was replaced by a silvery round thing I recognized to be the moon, my nighttime friend that I found much more tolerable than the sun. 

"_Riddikulus!_" Lupin said quickly, and the moon-boggart turned into a balloon and flew back into the wardrobe where Lupin re-locked the door. 

"Excellent. You all did really well with the boggart. For homework- read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it to be handed in to me tomorrow," Lupin said. When he dismissed us Lupin followed the rest of the class out, but I remained behind with Snape. 

"What was that all about?" I asked curiously. 

"What?" 

"Draco's werewolf-boggart. Lupin went sort of rigid-"

"I expect he was afraid," Snape said quickly. I studied his face for a moment.

"You're lying to me," I said coldly, "And I don't like it."

"I can't tell you anything, Casper, but if you are attentive you'll probably figure it out on your own. Now, where is your next class?" He inquired. 

"Divination at the top of the North Tower," I said, disgruntled. 

"I shall escort you. It is a very difficult place to find if you've never been there before," He replied, sweeping me towards the door. I almost said that I didn't require an escort, but I didn't. Despite my discontent at him lying to me, I was glad he was walking me to Divination. 

With Snape leading it didn't take long to reach North Tower, but it seemed longer since I was refusing to speak to him. We climbed up a large spiral staircase and emerged onto a tiny landing where most of the class was already assembled, talking loudly. 

"Thanks," I muttered to Snape as he turned around and went back down the staircase. Everyone was looking up at a circular trap door in the ceiling.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" Said Pansy Parkinson.

"We could blast it open," Draco suggested, pulling out his wand. Before he had a chance to do anything the trapdoor opened and a silvery ladder descended. 

"Who's going up first?" Draco asked. I made my way to the front of the crowd when no one responded. I climbed the ladder slowly. _Slytherins definitely aren't the bravest group of the school, _I thought to myself. My thoughts were distracted when I emerged into the strangest classroom I had ever seen. It looked a bit like an old tea shop. There were about 20 small round tables crammed inside, all surrounded by armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim crimson light. The curtains were shut against the sun and there was a fire roaring in the fire place while giving off an unpleasantly sweet scent. There were shelves running around the circular walls crammed full with quills, crystal balls, and teacups. The other Slytherins had followed me up the ladder and were now sitting themselves around the tables, all trying to avoid the squishy-looking poufs. Everyone was looking around now. I sank down onto a pouf at a table with Draco.

"Welcome," said a voice from the shadows, "How nice to see you all in the physical world at last."

Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight. She was a very thin woman draped in a shawl with thick glasses that made her eyes appear bug-ish. She wore many chains around her neck and rings on her fingers. 

"Welcome to Divination. My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye," She said, taking a seat in a winged armchair. 

"So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is little I can teach you. Books will not get you very far in the field of Divination. Many witches and wizards are unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future. It is a Gift granted to few. 

"We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will consist mostly of the art of reading tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry." 

I was barely listening to her long-winded introduction speech. I was wondering, as I had wondered when reading my Divination book many times, if my unusual nightmares had something to do with The Sight, as Professor Trelawney put it. 

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Grab a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink until only the dregs remain. Swell these around three times with your left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, let all the tea drain away, and then give it to your partner to interpret using pages 5 and 6 of _Unfogging the Future_," She said. Draco agreed to be my partner and I went to get a tea cup. While she was filling it Professor Trelawney was looking at me through her large spectacles. 

"You have a very strong aura, my dear. You may have what it takes to become a master in Divination. Books and words have not clouded your imagination or hindered your true insight," She remarked. It sounded like a load of bull to me, but I nodded my head and took my tea to the table. 

When we finished our tea and completed Professor Trelawney's instructions Draco and I exchanged cups. 

"What is that? An X? That means…trials and suffering," Draco said, turning the cup counterclockwise, "and…a little round thing. That means something about truth."

"This sounds like a loud of dung to me," I whispered to where Professor Trelawney couldn't hear. Draco nodded in agreement. 

**Chapter 37**

After lunch I followed the rest of the third-year Slytherins out to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, which we had with the Gryffindors. Hagrid was coming out of his hut when the Gryffindors arrived.

"C'mon, now, get a move on. Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!" Hagrid said loudly. At first I thought he was leading us into the Forbidden Forest, but he ended up going around and we found ourselves outside of a large, but empty paddock. 

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" Hagrid called, "That's it-make sure yeh can see- now fir' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-"

"How?" Interrupted Draco in his drawling voice.

"Eh?" 

"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated, lifting his copy of _The Monster Book of Monsters, _which was bound with a length of rope like mine. 

"Hasn'- hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid asked disappointedly. The entire class shook their heads.

"Yeh've got to _stroke _'em. Look-" Hagrid grabbed Hermione's copy of the book, ripped off the spellotape that bound it, and stroked the spine. The book quivered for a moment and then fell open, laying quiet in his hand. 

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Draco sneered, "We should have _stroked _them. Why didn't we guess!"

"I-I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly.

"Oh, tremendously funny! Really witty, giving us books that try to rip our hands off!" said Draco. I had to admit, Draco had a point. Someone should have told the poor bloke at the bookstore to _'stroke the spines'._

"Righ' then," said Hagrid anxiously, "so- so yeh've got yer books an'-an' now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on…"

He strode off into the forest. 

"God, this place is going to the dogs," Draco said loudly, "That oaf teaching classes, my father will have a fit when I tell him-"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Said Potter quietly.

"Careful Potter, there's a dementor behind you-"

Someone squealed and pointed to the edge of the forest where Hagrid was now returning with a dozen of bizarre creatures. They appeared to be half-horse, half-eagle and I recognized the description immediately. 

"Hippogriffs," I murmured quietly, watching the creatures trot onto the field. The hippogriffs were all attached to long metal chains held by Hagrid. I was barely listening as he sported off some random facts about Hippogriffs that I already knew. 

Harry Potter volunteered to go up to one of them, a grey fellow named Buckbeak. Potter bowed and it took a moment, but the Hippogriff bowed as well. Then Hagrid picked Harry up and set him on Buckbeak's back and the entire class watched in awe as the hippogriff flew around the paddock with Potter on his back. 

Emboldened by Potter's success the rest of the class now climbed into the paddock with the hippogriffs. I walked over to a smaller, black and grey hippogriff who had greenish-yellow eyes that reminded me of my Patronus. I bowed to the hippogriff and he immediately bowed in return. From behind me I heard a very high-pitched scream. I whirled around to see what had made such a noise and saw Draco, lying on the ground with blood covering his robes. Hagrid was wrestling with Buckbeak, trying to keep him off Draco. 

"I'm dying!" Draco cried, "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

"Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white, "Someone help me- gotta get him outta here-"

Hermione rushed to hold open the gate as Hagrid carried Draco up towards the castle. 

The entire class was in an uproar as we slowly followed. My fellow Slytherins were shouting that Hagrid should be fired straight away whereas the Gryffindors claimed it was Malfoy's fault. I really didn't care one way or the other and the noise was giving me a headache so I slunk off towards the common room. That night I had an unusual dream.

_There were two children sitting in a thicket of trees by a river. One of the children, a boy, was dressed poorly with pants that were too short and a smock-like shirt. The other, a girl, had bright green eyes that seemed familiar and dark red hair. I didn't know either of the children, I was certain._

"_The Ministry of Magic can punish you for doing magic outside of school, you get letters," The boy said._

"_but I have done magic outside school!" Said the girl, alarmed._

"_We're all right. We haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it. But once you're eleven and they start training you, then you've got to go careful."_

_The girl picked up a twig and twirled it in the air. She dropped it suddenly._

"_It IS real isn't it? It's not a joke? Petunia says you're lying to me. She says there isn't a Hogwarts. It is real isn't it?" She asked him._

"_It's real for us. Not for her. But we'll get the letter, you and me," He replied._

"_Really?"_

"_Definitely."_

"_And will it really come by owl?"_

"_Normally. But you're muggle-born so someone from the school will have to come and explain to your parents."_

"_Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?"_

_The boy hesitated, studying her face for a moment._

"_No. It doesn't make any difference," He said quickly. _

"_Good," She said, relaxing. She lay back on the leaves and looked up at the sky._

"_You've got loads of magic. I saw that. All the time I was watching you…" The boy trailed off when he realized she wasn't listening. He was watching her eagerly, almost hungrily. _

"_How are things at your house?" the girl asked him._

"_Fine," said the boy, frowning slightly._

"_They're not arguing anymore?"_

"_Oh, yes, they're arguing, but it won't be long and I'll be gone," He said. He had picked up a fistful of leaves and was tearing them apart._

"_Doesn't your dad like magic?" The girl asked._

"_He doesn't like anything, much," He replied. _

"_Severus?"_

_A little smile twisted his mouth and I knew who it was immediately, just from the smile, which I had often seen._

"_Yeah?" He asked her._

"_Tell me about the dementors again."_

"_What d'you want to know about them for?"_

"_If I use magic outside school-"_

"_They wouldn't give you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too-"_

_He turned red and shredded more leaves. A small rustling noise made them both turn as a girl hiding behind a tree lost her footing._

"_Tuney!" Exclaimed the girl, surprise and welcome in her voice. Severus jumped to his feet._

"_Who's spying now? What d'you want?" He shouted. The girl, Tuney, was breathless, struggling for something to retort._

"_What is that you're wearing anyway?" she said, pointing at his shirt, "Your mum's blouse?"_

_There was a loud crack as the branch over Tuney's head fell and struck her in the shoulders. The other girl screamed loudly. Tuney burst into tears and staggered backwards._

"_Tuney!" called the first girl, but she was running away. The girl rounded on Severus._

"_Did you make that happen?"_

"_No," He said, looking bold and scared. _

"_You did!" She exclaimed, backing away, "You _did! _you hurt her!"_

"_No- no I didn't!"_

_After one last burning look the girl ran off after her sister, leaving young Severus miserable and confused. _

"_Lily," He murmured to himself. _

I awoke with a jolt. It was morning time. My mind was still flooded with that feeling of misery. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that what I had seen had happened at some point in time and I felt thoroughly disgusted with myself for something that I couldn't help. I didn't like having a peek at his past without him knowing, but I wouldn't dare tell him what I had seen. 

**Chapter 38**

Draco returned on Thursday morning during our double Potions lesson with the Gryffindors, covered in bandages with his arm in a sling. 

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson, "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah," Draco said, putting on a brave grimace. When Pansy looked away I saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle. 

"Settle down, settle down," said Snape idly. 

We were working on a new potion, a shrinking solution. I was cutting my daisy roots with a silver knife when I heard Draco complaining.

"Sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots because of my arm-"

"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," Snape said without looking up. 

"There's nothing wrong with your arm," Weasley hissed at Draco, who smirked.

"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots."

I finished my potion quickly, ignoring the conversation behind me. When all my ingredients were added my potion had turned a brilliant acid green color. I looked up when Snape went to go bully Neville, a favorite pastime of his. Neville's potion had tuned-

"Orange, Longbottom," said Snape as he ladled some up and allowed it to splash back in the cauldron so everyone could see, "Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one rat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"

Neville was trembling in his seat. 

"Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put it right-"

"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," said Snape coldly, making Hermione go as pink as Neville, "Longbottom at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly."

Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear. As soon as Snape's back was turned Hermione began to whisper instructions to Neville.

I put my head down and tried to keep my mind off of my dream. I thought instead about my Transfiguration class where we were studying animagi. _It'd be pretty cool to be an animagus, _I thought to myself and I spent the next few minutes considering what animal I would turn into if I was one. I didn't even realize that Snape was standing beside my cauldron until he tapped me on the shoulder, making me jump slightly. 

"Head up, Casper," He whispered before addressing the class, "you should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potions needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's."

I cleared away my left over ingredients and washed my hands in the stone basin. Snape strode over to Neville who was cowering by his cauldron.

"Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."

Everyone watched as Snape picked up the toad and fed it a few drops of Neville's potion. A moment later the toad turned into a tadpole and the Gryffindors applauded.

_He couldn't have done it if Hermione hadn't been helping him, _I thought to myself, _What a cheater._

"Five points from Gryffindor. I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed," Snape said coldly. The Gryffindors all left grumbling and my fellow Slytherins left smirking. I tarried a moment, not wanting to go down to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Want some help cleaning up?" I offered quietly. 

"Oh, are you speaking to me again?" Snape asked lazily as he moved around the classroom, clearing away potions.

"Why wouldn't I be speaking to you?"

"Because of what happened in your class with Lupin. …I lied to you and you got angry, didn't you?" 

"…yes…"

"Well, sorry."

I gaped at him for a moment. Had he just apologized to me? Weird! I didn't say anything about it as I helped him clear away the potions. 

"I've been bored," I said, clearing away Neville's potion.

"Why's that?" 

"I can't go out at night because of the Dementors," I said sulkily.

"Ever try sleeping? It's what most people do," He said with a smile. I had to smile, too.

"I don't like to sleep at night when it's so peaceful," I responded, "I like to wander around…or at least _do _something."

"and you like to sleep when it's noisy and crowded?"

"Exactly," I said, delighted that he understood.

"You are a very unusual girl, Casper Addams."

That night at dinner the entire school seemed to be talking about one thing- the Gryffindors first lesson with Professor Lupin. Neville's boggart had turned into Professor Snape and when Neville cried '_Riddikulus!_' Boggart-Snape was forced into a bright green dress with a big red handbag and a vulture-topped hat. When I heard I couldn't help but suppress a laugh as I envisioned this. When Snape heard about it he was livid and I knew this was one thing I couldn't tease him about. 

With October came a notice on the bulletin board announcing the first Hogsmeade weekend would be on Halloween. Everyone in the Slytherin common room was buzzing with excitement, talking about the various places they wanted to visit. Zonko's Joke Shop, the Shrieking Shack, Honeydukes. Jen appeared gloomier than ever, due to the fact that second-years weren't allowed to go. 

"I'll bring you back lots of stuff," I promised as she walked me towards the entrance on Halloween morning. 

"What am I supposed to do while you're gone?" she asked desperately. I thought for a moment, thinking of something for her to do. 

"You can go and get my book _Curses and Counter-Curses _by Vindictus Viridian, and read it if you like," I offered, knowing that would cheer her up because I didn't normally allow her to read my books.

"Really? Thanks Casper!" She said, eyes wide. I went rigid as she embraced me, not at all liking being touched, best friend or not.

"Have a good time in Hogsmeade," She cried as she headed back towards the dungeon common room. 

I didn't have a very good time in Hogsmeade as I wandered from shop to shop by myself. I did buy a whole bunch of candy for Jen, wishing she could have come too, before I went into the Three Broomsticks to have some butterbeer. Towards dusk we all returned to the castle. 

I went into the common room to find Jen hopping about with her legs stuck together. She looked up desperately when I entered.

"Casper! Thank God! I seem to have accidentally…used the Leg-Locker Curse on myself," She said sheepishly, but sounding relieved. I quickly pulled out my wand and performed the counter-curse before anyone else came in. 

"Thanks," She said weakly, sinking down into the chair. My book was on the floor and I picked it up, brushing dirt off the cover. I gave her all the sweets I had acquired for her in Hogsmeade and she looked delighted.

"Let's go down to the feast," I said as she looked over her treats, "I'm starved."

The Halloween feast was as wonderful as usual with its huge pumpkins and thousands of live bats fluttering around the ceiling. I felt myself growing drowsy as I devoured a large amount of ham and potatoes. Jen was telling me about what they had most recently started discussing in Transfiguration but I was barely listening. My mind was one the dream I had last night, the same dream as before, about young Snape and Lily. I was wondering who Lily was when my eyes drifted up towards the High Table. Snape had his head down as he was eating, but every now and again I saw his eyes flick towards Professor Lupin, who seemed cheerful. 

**Chapter 39**

Later that night I had barely fallen asleep when we were woken up by the Prefects and told to go down to the Great Hall immediately. I grabbed my wand, donned my Disillusionment Charm, and followed my classmates until I spotted Snape on his way up the stairs. I ran after him as quickly as possible without making any noise. 

"What's going on?" I asked, struggling to keep up with him.

"Sirius Black's somewhere in the castle. You should go down to the Great Hall," He said as we reached the third floor. 

"What? No way," I protested, "I can help you search for Black."

He looked skeptical.

"You know better than anyone that I'm capable of taking care of myself. If I find Black I can hit him with any number of spells and he wouldn't know what hit him," I said quickly. 

"I haven't got time to argue with you. You stick with me and try not to draw too much attention to yourself," He hissed as he opened one of the classrooms and began to search. 

We spent the next couple of hours searching the third floor before deducing that Black was long gone.

"Now what?" I whispered when we had searched all of the rooms.

"Report to Dumbledore," He said heading back down the stairs. We passed Filch coming out of the dungeons on the way to the Great Hall.

"I've searched the dungeons, Professor Snape. There's no sign of him," Filch said to him.

"Very well. I'll tell the Headmaster. Looks like Black has moved on," Snape said. Filch nodded before scurrying off to lurk somewhere else. 

We walked into the Great Hall quietly. There were many large, squishy, purple sleeping bags in the Great Hall where the students were all sleeping peacefully. Dumbledore stood in the middle of the hall, talking to Percy Weasley, the Head Boy.

"Headmaster?" Snape said when we approached, "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?" Dumbledore asked sharply.

"All searched…"

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger," Dumbledore said with a sigh.

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."

Snape seemed to frown angrily. Percy Weasley was rapt with attention.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before- ah- the start of the term?" Snape asked Dumbledore. He was trying to exclude someone from the conversation by being secretive, but whether it was Percy or myself I couldn't be certain. 

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore with a hint of warning in his voice.

"It seems- almost impossible- that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed-"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would help Black enter it," said Dumbledore, his tone making it clear that the subject was closed. Snape didn't reply. 

"I must go down to the dementors. I said I would inform them when our search was complete," Dumbledore said.

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" Percy asked.

"Oh yes," Dumbledore said coldly, "But I'm afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster."

Percy looked away, blushing, as Dumbledore left quickly and quietly. Snape watched the Headmaster leave with an expression of resentment as Percy moved away, making sure all the students were still asleep. 

"Go to sleep, Casper," Snape said in a voice so soft I could barely hear it. Then he left the hall and I had no choice but to grab an empty sleeping bag and inconspicuously drag it to where my fellow Slytherins were sleeping. I slipped into the sleeping bag while Percy still had his back turned and quietly lifted my Disillusionment Charm. I lay back, staring at the starry enchanted ceiling for a long time, before falling asleep. A new dream started immediately…

_It was the same two kids as before, only now they were older. Severus appeared to be 16 years old, as was Lily, the girl he was talking to. His hair was long around his face and he was thin and pale. The girl, Lily, was as beautiful as ever. They seemed to be having an argument._

"_I'm sorry," said Severus._

"_I'm not interested," retorted Lily._

"_I'm sorry!" He repeated._

"_Save your breath. I only came out here because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."_

"_I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you a Mudblood, it just-"_

"_Slipped out?" She said without pity, "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends- you see, you don't even deny it! You don't deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"_

_Severus opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again._

"_I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine," Lily said finally._

"_No- listen, I didn't mean-"_

"_-to call me a Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Sev. Why should I be any different?"_

_She turned around and left, leaving him alone. _

I awoke with the same ill feeling I'd felt when I had the other dream. It was an almost guilty feeling, like I'd done something wrong…but I couldn't stop my stupid dreams. I didn't know how and I hated to dwell on things that had happened in a past that wasn't mine and had nothing at all to do with me. But I couldn't help that either. I was curious about what she had said when she talked about Snape wanting to be a Death Eater and I desperately wanted to know who Lily was…but there was no way I was asking Snape.

**Chapter 40**

The weather took a turn for the worse as the weekend approached. The wind was howling and it was raining. There was going to be a Quidditch match on Saturday and it was originally supposed to have been Slytherin against Gryfindor, but Draco was still putting on a show about his arm being injured, so Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff instead. 

Friday morning I had a Defense Against the Dark Arts class. No one was really excited about it until we walked into the classroom to find Professor Snape sitting at Lupin's desk. Murmuring excitedly everyone took their usual seats and looked up attentively. I watched with veiled fascination as Snape stood up to address the class. I'd had secret Defense Against the Dark Arts classes with him last year and I was curious to see how he would teach the entire class. 

"Professor Lupin is feeling too ill today to teach and I have been asked to take his place. Unfortunately we will only be doing book work today and since Professor Lupin has failed to leave a record of what you have covered so far we shall discuss…werewolves," Snape said smoothly, "Please turn to page 394."

We all got out our books and flipped to page 394. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Draco go even paler than normal when he saw the picture in the book. 

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" Snape asked the class. Everyone looked at each other. We hadn't even began werewolves yet. Lucky for my classmates I knew the answer and was willing to share it, since it was Snape teaching and not Lupin. I raised my hand and Snape looked surprised.

"Casper?" 

"The snouts are different and the shape of the pupils," I said quietly. 

"Very good. 10 points to Slytherin. Now, I'd like you all to read the chapter on werewolves and make notes. For homework you will each write an essay on the different ways to recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment to be handed in to my on Monday," Snape said. 

For the remainder of the class no one said anything and the only sound that could be heard was the scratching of quills on parchment, the turning of pages, and the sound of Snape pacing back and forth. About halfway through reading the chapter I dropped my quill as I realized something. Snape caught my eye and a smile flickered at the corner of his mouth. He was pleased that I had caught on so quickly. 

At the end of class I hung around until all the other students were gone. I walked over to Lupin's desk where Snape was sitting.

"So, Lupin's a werewolf is he? That's why you lied to me in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, isn't it?" I said to him.

"I was strictly forbidden from telling anyone…but now that you've figured it out- yes. The beloved Professor Lupin is a werewolf. I've been brewing the Wolfsbane Potion for him every month, but it doesn't always work as well as it should. It has prevented him from completely transforming, but it doesn't stop him from becoming ill," He replied. My eyes lit up suddenly.

"The Wolfsbane Potion? Can I help?" I asked eagerly. 

"Well…I suppose if you really want to… I owe you that much… yes. Yes, of course you can help me," He murmured. I was delighted.

The next morning the storm had gotten worse and instead of going to the Quidditch match I stayed in the warm, dry common room, working on my werewolf essay for Snape. I had just finished it when the common room door opened and in walked all of Slytherin House, covered in rain and mud, but looking delighted. 

"What happened? Did Gryffindor lose?" I asked Jen as she came to sit beside me. 

"Yes-" she began, but Draco interrupted her.

"that's not all! Dementors showed up at the match. Potter fainted and fell off his broomstick!" Draco declared, roaring with laughter, "He's in the hospital wing. _And _his broomstick flew into the Whomping Willow. It's totally destroyed."

"That's great," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but I was saddened by the loss of the broomstick. Even though I hadn't been to fly in ages due to the dementors, it was still my favorite broomstick. 

December came and at long last the rain disappeared and was replaced by frost. I had already decided to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays, like I always did. I figured Anthony and Amy would be able to spend more money on Dylan if I wasn't there…not to mention the Holiday feast, which I always looked forwards to.

On the last weekend of the term before Christmas Holidays there was another Hogsmeade weekend. I was delighted to go this time and spent a little bit of money to buy a Christmas present for Jen, a book of simple spells that she could practice on her own. After careful consideration I decided to buy something for Snape, though I also made the decision to leave it outside of his classroom door and not tell him who it was from. I had the faint suspicion he had done the same thing to me a few times before. I bought a luxurious, black eagle-feather quill, along with a pot of deep green ink and put both in a simple gift bag.

Christmas Eve I snuck out of the common room, though only one other Slytherin had remained over the holidays besides myself and that was a sullen-looking fifth year whom I'd never spoken to and didn't plan on speaking to. Very quietly I left the gift bag outside of the classroom door before slipping back into the common room. 

When I awoke on Christmas morning I went immediately to the small pile of presents at the foot of my bed. Gabriel was lying on top of a small box, snoozing. I opened one present that said 'From Anthony, Amy, and Dylan' and found they had sent me a book similar to the one they had given me on my birthday. My next gift was from Jen; she had given me a thick woolen scarf and another box of Chocolate Frogs. I shooed Gabriel off of the last gift which was from my 'mystery gift giver' who had never left a card. I opened the box to find a pair of soft, fur-lined gloves that were an astonishing shade of silver that matched my eyes perfectly. I tugged my gloves on delightedly and went downstairs. The sullen-faced fifth year girl was sitting by the fire and she didn't look as if she'd received anything for Christmas. I hesitated a moment before I walked over to her and, without saying anything, gave her one of the Chocolate Frogs that Jen had given me. I walked away before she could make a big deal out of it. I wasn't used to being nice to people after all. 

**Chapter 41**

I went down to the Great Hall at lunchtime and was surprised to find that the four house tables had been removed and replaced by a single, long table set for 12. Dumbledore was there, looking merry as ever, and on one side of him sat Snape, looking as surly as ever. On the other side of Snape sat McGonagall. Professors Sprout and Flitwick were there as well and the caretaker, Mr. Filch, was there. I sat down across from Snape and smiled slightly. The fifth-year Slytherin girl was there, sitting at the end of the table, and a nervous looking Gryffindor first-year, who was only slightly taller than me, sat in front of Professor McGonagall. There were three empty seats left and a moment later Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley all walked in together. 

"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore as Potter and his friends approached the table, "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables…Sit down, sit down!"

The three of them sat down at the end of the table. The table was littered with noisemakers of different colors. 

"Crackers!" said Dumbledore delightedly, picking up the end of a silver one and offering it to Snape. He took it rather reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot the cracker exploded to reveal a large witch's hat, topped with a stuffed vulture. Snape, obviously recalling Neville's boggart, became thin-lipped and pushed the hat towards Dumbledore. Dumbledore swapped the hat for his own at once and beamed at everyone.

"Dig in!" He said loudly as the plates around us filled with food. I took one last look at Dumbledore wearing the witches hat while beaming brightly, and thought _What a crackpot old fool. No wonder Snape detests him, _before helping myself to roast and potatoes. 

I felt rather awkward, since eating wasn't something I was used to doing around Snape and every time I happened to glance upwards he was looking at me. The first time our eyes met I froze with my fork half-way to my mouth. For a moment, looking into his black eyes, I envisioned the 16-year-old version of him who had argued with Lily in my dreams again last night. I hadn't really listened to what was being said in the dream, since I'd heard it all before, and I had spent the entire dream watching young Severus. Recalling this now made me blush and I was relieved when the doors to the Great Hall opened and we both looked away. 

It was Professor Trelawney and she glided over to the table. She was wearing a green sequined dress and greatly resembled a large dragonfly.

"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" Dumbledore said, standing up. 

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," she said in her misty voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness…"

"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling, "Let me draw you up a chair-"

He waved his wand and a chair appeared, revolved a few moments, and then landed between Snape and McGonagall. Snape did not look very happy. I wasn't very happy either. Professor Trelawney was my least favorite teacher, due to her incessant need to call me out in class and compliment my 'beautiful aura' and all the other crap she did. Just like Lupin. 

"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!" said Professor Trelawney. 

"We'll risk it, Sibyll," said McGonagall a tad impatiently, "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold."

Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the chair with her eyes closed as if she expected someone to keel over and die. Unfortunately nothing at all mystical happened and McGonagall offered her some tripe. Professor Trelawney looked around the table, eyes wide.

"But where is dear Professor Lupin?" She asked in a hushed voice. Snape caught my eye again.

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill," said Dumbledore, "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

"But surely you knew that, Sibyll?" said McGonagall, eyebrows raised. 

"Certainly I knew, Minerva, but one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed with the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous," Said Professor Trelawney coldly. _She has a point, _I thought to myself, _I don't parade the fact that I have dreams about the past…but I doubt old Trelawney has ever had anything remotely similar to a vision. _

"That explains a great deal," said Professor McGonagall tartly. Professor Trelawney suddenly looked a lot less misty.

"If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him-"

"Imagine that," said McGonagall dryly. 

"I doubt," said Dumbledore in a loud but still cheerful voice that put an end to McGonagall and Trelawney's conversation, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"

"Yes, Headmaster," said Snape, catching my eye again. He and I had brewed the Wolfsbane potion at the beginning of December late one evening. It mainly consisted of me fetching potion ingredients or stirring the cauldron, but I had found it immensely fascinating.

"Good," said Dumbledore, "Then he should be up and about in no time…Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They're excellent."

The first-year boy went red and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands. 

When dinner had disappeared it was replaced by deserts of all different sorts. Dumbledore was delightedly filling his plate when he startled me.

"Casper, have you tried some of the chocolate-covered strawberries? They're quite good," Dumbledore said, offering me a dish. I was so shocked the Dumbledore knew my name that I didn't respond.

"She's allergic to strawberries," said Snape in a quiet, tart voice. I gaped at Snape, wondering how he could have known such a thing. Dumbledore didn't seem at all put-off, however.

"Ah. How about some of these custard creams?" He offered. I took one without saying anything, just so he would leave me alone. 

Dinner went normally after that until, when Potter and Weasley stood up, Professor Trelawney shrieked.

"My dears! Which one of you left his seat first? Which?" She demanded.

"Dunno," said Weasley uneasily. 

"I doubt it will make much difference," said McGonagall coldly, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the entrance hall."

I clapped a hand over my mouth to suppress a laugh and I saw the corners of Snape's mouth twitch. Professor Trelawney looked highly affronted. 

"Coming?" Potter asked Hermione who shook her head and muttered something. 

When Snape stood up to leave I followed him out of the Great Hall. He even held the door open for me. 

"How did you know I was allergic to strawberries?" I asked as we walked towards the dungeons.

"I have a very sharp memory. Your cousin offered you one when I first came to accompany you to Diagon Alley. You told her you were allergic and she replied that she'd always thought it was raspberries," He replied. 

"Wow, you _do _have a good memory," I said, impressed, "…why was Dumbledore so keen on interacting with me? He's never spoken a word to me before…and how does he know my name?"

"He knows all of his students, even if he's never spoken to them. As for his reasons for interacting with you, I have no clue. It's Dumbledore, after all…no one really knows what goes on in his mind, though it is a brilliant mind," Snape replied. I was surprised…I had always been under the distinct impression that Snape disliked Dumbledore. 

**Chapter 42**

December faded to January and then February without a change in the bitterly cold weather. I wore my fur-lined gloves almost everywhere except the Divination classroom, which was still stifling hot and a huge relief compared to the bitter cold of the passageways, especially the Potions classroom. 

I was in Divination one Monday morning, listening to Professor Trelawney reading a passage out of _Unfogging the Future. _Her misty voice, combined with the scent of the perfumed fire, was making me drowsy. I lay my head down on the desk like I used to in Lockhart's class, and I fell asleep. Unfortunately for me a new dream started as soon as I closed my eyes…

_It was Snape and Dumbledore in Dumbledore's office, though it was obviously many years ago. Snape was slumped over in a chair and Dumbledore looked grim. Snape made a noise like a wounded animal and lifted his head, looking distraught and absolutely miserable. _

"_I thought…you were going…to keep her…safe…"_

"_She and James put her faith in the wrong person," said Dumbledore quietly, "rather like you, Severus. Weren't you hoping that Lord Voldemort would spare her?"_

_Snape's breathing was shallow and he didn't respond._

"_Her boy survives," said Dumbledore. His head jerked slightly._

"_Her son lives. He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and color of Lily Evan's eyes, I am sure?" _

"_DON'T!" Snape bellowed, clutching his head, "Gone…dead…"_

"_Is this remorse, Severus?"_

"_I wish…I wish _I _were dead…"_

"_And what use would that be to anyone?" Dumbledore said coldly, "If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."_

_Snape looked up at Dumbledore through his pain. _

"_What-what do you mean?" Snape asked quietly._

"_You know how and why she died. Make sure it was not in vain. Help me protect Lily's son."_

"_He does not need protection. The Dark Lord has gone-"_

"_The Dark Lord will return and Harry Potter will be in terrible danger when he does."_

_Harry Potter! They were talking about Harry Potter! And Lily was…his mum! _

"_Very well," Snape said at last. He seemed to have regained control of himself, "Very well. But never- never tell, Dumbledore! This must be between us! Swear it! I cannot bear…especially Potter's son…I want your word!"_

"_My word, Severus, that I shall never reveal the best of you? If you insist…" Dumbledore said with a sigh. _

Someone was shaking me awake and at first I thought it was a giant bug. My vision cleared and I saw it was Professor Trelawney. 

"My dear- are you having a vision? What do you see?" She asked sharply.

"huh, wha-?" I mumbled, sitting up.

"You were having a vision. I am certain! Your entire aura changed-"

"I was asleep," I said shortly, "I was asleep and nothing more."

"But…but…you-"

"I think I'm ill. I need to go to the hospital wing," I muttered, shoving my things into my bag and standing up. 

"But my dear, your Inner Eye has surely opened! If you leave now-" She said, grabbing my robes. 

"I don't have an Inner Eye, just a stomach bug. Let me go," I said snatching my sleeve away from her. I fled the Divination classroom and ran down the spiral steps. 

I had no intention of going to the Hospital Wing and I entered the first empty place I could find, which happened to be a girl's bathroom. I glanced in the mirror and saw that my luminescent silver eyes were filled with tears. The tears leaked out and I realized I was weeping- weeping for Snape, who had lost Lily, his only love. I didn't fully understand the circumstances, but the anguish I had seen on his face was unbearable for me to even think about. I bit my lower lip, trying to stifle the sobs, when one of the bathroom stalls opened. I was not as alone as I would have thought. It was the fifth-year girl with whom I had shared a Chocolate Frog. She looked red-eyed as though she might have been crying as well.

"Are you okay?" She asked me, walking over to me.

"Fine," I gasped through my tears. I wiped my face with my sleeve, annoyed at my lack of self control. I left the bathroom, knowing full well what I intended to do, even if I had to beg. I couldn't keep having these dreams. I had to make them stop. 

**Chapter 43**

I stood outside his classroom until the bell rang and as soon as the room was empty I entered. He was sitting at his desk and looked up when I entered.

"Casper…what's wrong?" He asked, slightly alarmed. Looking at him made me almost want to cry again, but I repressed it. My eyes were already red and I could only imagine what he was thinking. 

"I need help," I said. I dumped my bag onto the floor beside one of the desks and sank into it, putting my head down miserably. 

"From me? What is it?" He asked hesitantly standing up.

"I've been having these weird dreams again…"

"Like the nightmares you told me about?"

"No, these are different. They're about…well it doesn't really matter _what _they're about… I don't really understand them at all, but… I want to make them stop. I know you know how. You're a powerful wizard and, despite what you say, I think you can hear thoughts. So, if you can hear people's minds, then you must know how to block them as well. Professor Trelawney claims it's my 'Inner Eye opening' and if that's what it is I want the damned thing to shut!" I said, my voice muffled by the fact that my head was still down on the desk, but he understood. 

"I may be able to teach you, but…it would help if I knew what sort of dreams you are having. Tell me about-"

"-No," I said, trying to make my voice sound firm but failing miserably, "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"I _won't._"

There was a moment of silence and I looked up to see him standing a few feet away from me, studying me curiously. I turned my eyes away from him and refused to think of the dreams in case he tried to pry them from my subconscious. 

"If I was going to pry them from your subconscious you'd know it because it would hurt," Snape said coolly, "A lot."

"So you can read minds! Add that to the list of lies…"

"I never claimed that I couldn't read minds. Once when you asked me I said I had an uncanny knack for guessing what people are thinking, and that is the truth. The other time you asked me I never responded. So clearly I have only lied to you once, on Dumbledore's direct order that I could not tell anyone about Lupin's…illness," He said clearly, "Now, why won't you tell me about the dreams?"

"I can't," I muttered, putting my head down again, "I'd rather face fifty basilisks."

"Casper, last year when you came out of the Chamber of Secrets you said that you were ready to trust me and be truthful. Why don't you trust me now?"

"…it's not that I don't trust you-" I broke off mid-sentence because I had almost made the mistake of calling him by the nickname Lily used- Sev.

"- it's just that…you might get angry…" I murmured after my brief, unexplained pause.

"Why would I get angry about something you've dreamed?" 

The confusion was clear on his face. I let out a trembling sigh. _He won't help me if I don't tell him, _I thought miserably, _and if I can't stop these dreams I'll probably go mad._

"No, I can't do it. You'll have to take the images by force. I won't speak it…I can't," I said finally, closing my eyes. 

"Are you giving me permission to take images from your mind?" He asked, looking at me, his black eyes glittering.

"Yes…but you mustn't be angry…promise…"

"This is going to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you, why can't you just tell me?"

I turned my face away from him. He drew his wand and I braced myself for the pain of him delving into my subconscious. 

"_Legilimens_," He said quietly. 

I felt a sharp pain in my skull, almost like a migraine. My thoughts shifted randomly until Snape found the memory. I immediately tried to block myself from seeing it, hoping to spare myself the gut-wrenching shame of seeing his childhood again.

"Stop trying to fight me, Casper, you've got to let me see them," Snape's voice said from somewhere. I allowed the dream-memories to come, all three of them. When the last one was complete everything sort of lurched back into reality and I staggered backwards. Snape staggered backwards as well and then turned his back to me. 

"How…How could you have dreamt…?" He murmured in a low voice. 

"I never wanted to… Never… I want the dreams to stop. I don't…I don't understand them…" I whimpered. I was weeping silently again. He turned around and I quickly tried to wipe the tears from my face before he could see them. 

"What are you crying for?" His voice was bitter but his entire demeanor had turned to sorrowful.

"I hate it. The dreams. Not just because I don't understand but because…my emotions get really warped afterwards. Will you…are you going to help me make the dreams stop?"

He turned away again for a moment, deep in thought and concentration. He turned back to me a few moments later. 

"It seems I have no choice. I can't have you delving around in my past whenever you-"

"-I don't want to!" I said quickly, eyes flashing angrily.

"Of course you don't. I'll have to teach you Occlumency…in return you must _never _tell anyone what you saw between myself and Professor Dumbledore…about _Potter_," He said, his own eyes flashing as he said the name. 

"What's Occlumency?" I asked, frowning. 

"It's how to keep your mind shut from others. I think that if you learn this it will stop your…unwanted dreams," He replied,

"Ah. But doesn't that mean you won't be able to hear my thoughts anytime you want?"

"Yes, but I have better things to do than poke around the mind of a thirteen-year-old girl. Though it will make it considerably more difficult for me to know when you are wearing your Disillusionment Charm," He admitted.

"So that's how you knew I was there all those times. You heard my thoughts."

"Right."

"So when are you going to teach me Occlumency?" I asked him.

"Later tonight, perhaps. Not now. I've got things to do," He murmured, "And you should get back to your classes…and try not to fall asleep this time."

Not falling asleep was easier said than done. I had History of Magic next, and it was taught by an extremely boring ghost by the name of Professor Binns. He had a monotonous voice and all he did was talk throughout the entire class period. I had barely sat down in my seat in the back of the class when I fell asleep again and another dream began…

_Snape was sitting in Dumbledore's office and Dumbledore was observing him through his spectacles. His blue eyes were twinkling and his forehead was creased in a curious frown. _

"_So, she dreams your memories, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, still frowning._

"_Yes," Snape said, nodding his head, "Memories she could only have gotten from my mind, one way or another."_

"_I see…" Dumbledore murmured, "Well, Severus, I have a theory. I don't know if it's true but it makes as much sense as anything at this point…"_

"_What is it?"_

"_Her father was a skilled Legilimens, you know that better than anyone…It makes sense that he could have passed on the talent to her. I think she's using it, whether she realizes it or not, in her sleep," Dumbledore replied, "The only thing I wonder is- why only your memories?"_

"_That's easy. She doesn't talk to a lot of people. She only has one friend that I know of. I am one of the select few that she talks to…and that she trusts."_

"_Ah, so she does trust you?"_

"_I believe so."_

"_And do you trust her?"_

_Snape hesitated._

"_I think I have to," He replied._

_Dumbledore nodded his head._

"_Trust is a two-way street, Severus. If you're going to trust her you have to teach her Occlumency. You've said yourself she knows things about you that no one else knows, even if she doesn't understand them. You have to teach her if you want you secrets to be safe. I'm only worried that she may not be strong enough-"_

"_Oh, she's strong enough," Snape interrupted, "There's no doubt in my mind about that. I've seen her strength. She knows more spells than most of my 7__th__ year students."_

"_She is a lot like you when you were that age, isn't she?" Dumbledore asked, smiling kindly. _

"_I suppose she is. I never really thought about it…" _

The ringing of the bell woke me up. I shoved my books into my bag and followed my classmates out the door. I couldn't help but smile. Snape had said I was like him.

**Chapter 44**

That night I met him in the Potions classroom and he cast the Muffliato spell on the door. He had regained his usual calm and snide appearance.

"So, how are you going to teach me Occlumency?" I asked him.

"Well, I think it's best if you learn to block your thoughts from someone first," Snape replied, "Like you did when I was looking at the dream memories."

"I wasn't trying to block you. I just didn't want to see them again," I said quietly.

"Right. Of course I _could _have forced past your blockade, but it would have probably hurt you more."

"Oh. So, how often will I have these lessons?"

"Probably every night," He answered with a shrug. 

"Great, so I have to spend the night with you in my head every night?" I grumbled. Snape smirked slightly and I realized the possible misinterpretation of what I'd just said.

"I didn't mean it like that," I said quickly, blushing furiously.

"Of course not. Let's move on-" He replied, pulling out his wand, "I'm going to enter your mind and fixate on a thought or memory of yours. You are going to do your best to block me…"

"…alright…" I murmured. I was feeling a little anxious now that it got down to it. I didn't really want him in my head…and I didn't want him to hurt me.

"Look at it this way," Snape said with a sigh, "Wouldn't you rather it be me than some stranger?"

"I suppose," I said quietly. 

"Ready?" 

I nodded my head.

"_Legilimens,_" He said, flicking his wand.

I felt the sharp pain again as he penetrated my mind and then randomly selected a memory. It was the memory of me playing with Dylan on the floor in my house. I tried to push him back, but I liked the memory and didn't want to stop seeing it.

"You're not fighting me, Casper," said Snape's voice.

_Well then chose a different memory. I like this one, _I retorted in my mind. The image of Dylan faded and was replaced by one of Professor Lupin calling on me in class. It was the day we faced the boggart. I tried to block it but the pain in my head increased. I fought back harder until…

We both staggered backwards and I collided painfully with one of the desks. 

"You did good, Casper," Snape said, "not excellent, but good. I think that if it were a memory you particularly wanted to block you could do a lot better. Still, a skilled Legilimens could break through your defenses."

I sat on the desk for a moment, massaging my temples, trying to relieve my lasting headache.

"What is a Legilimens?" I asked, recalling the conversation between him and Dumbledore I had witnessed earlier. Dumbledore had said _"Her father was a skilled Legilimens" _and they had been talking about me. I was curious, because I didn't know anything about my father and any mention of him had always been forbidden by Anthony. 

"A Legilimens is someone skilled in the art of Legilimency, which is penetrating the minds of others. An Occulmens is someone skilled in Occlumency," He replied. 

"Was…Was my father skilled in both?" I asked quietly, "I saw you and Dumbledore talking about it in his office. I, er, fell asleep in History of Magic."

Snape's entire demeanor changed again and he clenched his jaw. He averted my eyes.

"I can't tell you anything about that, Casper," He said quietly.

"You're lying to me again, but I don't particularly care at this point," I said, rubbing my head again, "Let's just get on with my Occlumency training."

We finished the lesson as it neared 4:00 in the morning and I had successfully blocked Snape from a memory of my younger self at Christmas back before I knew I was a witch. I'd received only hand-me-down clothes that Christmas and had been extremely disappointed. 

"Well done, Casper," Snape said when I had blocked the memory from him, "I think we can call it quits for tonight."

"Alright. Will we do this again tomorrow?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"Yes. Before you go to sleep I want you to try and block your mind, alright?"

"How do I do that?"

"Empty your mind of all emotions before you drift off. People who are overly emotional often fall prey to skilled Legilimens."

I left the Potions classroom and went back to the Slytherin common room and, after removing my Disillusionment Charm, went into the dormitory. All the girls I shared a dormitory with were already asleep and as I lay down I struggled to put up some sort of mental barrier. That night I didn't have a single dream or nightmare. 

We continued my Occlumency classes almost every night. I tried to sleep whenever I got the chance, which wasn't often, and every time I did go to sleep I put up my mental barrier. Almost every time I did that I didn't have any dreams at all. I slept through the Quidditch match against Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, but as soon as it was over Jen woke me up to tell me what happened. 

"Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint dressed up as Dementors and went out onto the playing field to try and spook Potter," She told me enthusiastically.

"How'd that go?" I asked with a yawn.

"Well, Potter pulled out his wand and shot a Patronus at them-"

"A corporeal Patronus?" I demanded, suddenly wide awake. 

"Huh?"

"Did his Patronus have a shape?"

"Oh, no, not like yours. His was just a jet of silvery stuff. It spooked Draco and the others though, and they're in big trouble," She replied. 

Later that same night I was having my Occlumency lesson with Snape when there was a loud knock on the door. Snape withdrew from my mind quickly, tapped me on the head with his wand to restore my Disillusionment Charm, and went to open the door. I peered around him and saw it was Professor McGonagall. 

"Professor Snape, I am afraid Sirius Black was in the Gryffindor tower. The Headmaster would like for you to do a thorough search of the dungeons," McGonagall said urgently.

"Should I alert my students?" He asked her.

"No, the Headmaster thinks it's best if they stay in their dormitories. They're most likely asleep, anyway," She replied.

"Very well. I will search the dungeons."

As soon as McGonagall was gone Snape began to search the various classrooms in the dungeons with me following him, invisible as always. 

"Do you think he's here?" I whispered as we poked around his office.

"I doubt Black remained in the castle."

**Chapter 45**

The next Hogsmeade weekend I decided to stay in the castle. Snape was brewing the Wolfsbane potion again and I was helping. A short while later in burst Draco Malfoy, panting and dripping with mud. He turned to Snape and quickly fired off some story about being in Hogsmeade when something invisible hit him with mud, then he had seen Potter's head floating in mid-air.

"Don't worry, Draco, I'll take care of Potter," Snape said to him, ushering him out the door. Snape started to leave and I put on my Disillusionment Charm before following him. I followed Snape out of the dungeons and up a staircase.

"Why're you invisible?" He asked when no one was around.

"Things are always more interesting when I'm invisible," I replied mysteriously. 

We came upon Harry Potter near a statue of a humpbacked witch. His face was sweaty and I noticed his hands were particularly dirty.

"So," said Snape with a look of suppressed triumph. Potter quickly hid his hands in his robes and tried to look innocent.

"Come with me, Potter," Snape said. I followed Snape and Potter back down the stairs, into the dungeons, and into Snape's office. I was always particularly fond of Snape's office. There was a number of foul things in jars on shelves around the walls and the way they flickered in the firelight seemed to add to the ominous atmosphere. 

"Sit," said Snape and Potter sat. Snape remained standing. I silently moved myself behind Snape's desk so that I wasn't in the way. I was eager to see what he would do to Potter. 

"Mr. Malfoy has just been to see me with a strange story, Potter. He tells me that he was up by the Shrieking Shack when he ran into Weasley- apparently alone. Mr. Malfoy states that he was standing talking to Weasley when a large amount of mud hit him in the back of the head. How do you think that could have happened?" Snape asked him.

"I don't know, Professor," Potter said, sounding faintly surprised. It was obvious to me he was lying. _He's lying, _I thought to myself, hoping that Snape was listening to me. Snape and Harry were staring at each other and neither was blinking. I wondered if that was difficult for him since, I saw now, Potter did have the exact eyes of Lily Evans.

"Mr. Malfoy then saw an extraordinary apparition. Can you imagine what it might have been, Potter?" Snape asked.

"No," replied Potter, trying a little too hard to sound innocent and curious. 

"It was your head, Potter. Floating in midair."

There was a brief pause.

"Maybe he'd better go to Madam Pomfrey if he's seeing thins like-"

"What would your head have been doing in Hogsmeade, Potter? Your head is not allowed in Hogsmeade. No part of your body has permission to be in Hogsmeade."

"I know that. It sounds like Malfoy's having hallucin-"

"Malfoy is not having hallucinations," snarled Snape, "If your head was in Hogsmeade, so was the rest of you."

I had to cover my invisible mouth to stop from snickering.

"I've been up in Gryffindor Tower," Potter said, "Like you told-"

"Can anyone confirm that?"

Potter didn't say anything and Snape's mouth curled into an evil little smile.

"So," Snape said, "Everyone from the Minister of Magic downward has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences."

Potter didn't respond. He thought Snape was trying to provoke him into telling the truth, but he was only partially correct. Snape had been sincere when he was talking about Potter's disregard for those who try to keep him safe. 

"How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter," Snape said suddenly, his black eyes glinting, "He too was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch field made him think he was a cut above the rest of us too. Strutting around the place with his friends and admirers…the resemblance between you is uncanny."

"My dad didn't _strut _and neither do I," said Potter, breaking his vow of silence.

"your father didn't set much in store by rules either," Snape went un, pressing his advantage, "Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup-winners. His head was so swollen-"

"SHUT UP!" Potter bellowed, jumping to his feet. Snape's face had gone rigid and his black eyes were flashing dangerously. I backed into a corner anxiously.

"_What did you say to me, Potter?_" Snape growled through clenched teeth. 

"I told you to shut up about my dad!" Harry yelled, "I know the truth, all right? He saved your life! Dumbledore told me! You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for my dad!"

"And did the Headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life? Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Potter's delicate ears?" Snape hissed. Potter was biting his lip. Apparently he didn't know and Snape saw this. 

"I would hate for you to run away with a false idea of your father, Potter," he said with a terrible grin, "Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me correct you- your saintly father and his friends played a highly amusing joke on me that would have resulted in my death if your father hadn't got cold feet at the last moment. There was nothing brave about what he did. He was saving his own skin as well as mine. Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts."

Snape's teeth were bared and Potter looked as if he'd just swallowed something horrible.

"turn out your pockets, Potter!" Snape spat suddenly. Potter didn't move. 

"Turn out your pockets or we go straight to the headmaster! Pull them out, Potter!"

Slowly Potter pulled out a bag of things from Zonko's joke shop in Hogsmeade and some sort of parchment. Snape picked up the Zonko's bag.

"Ron gave them to me," Potter said quickly, "He- brought them back from Hogsmeade last time-"

"Indeed? And you've been carrying them around ever since? How very touching…and what is this?" Snape asked, picking up the parchment. 

"Spare bit of parchment," Potter said with a shrug. I could tell he was lying but I didn't know what the truth was.

"Surely you don't need such a very _old _piece of parchment? Why don't I just- throw this away?" Snape said, taking a step towards the fire. 

"No!" Potter shouted quickly. Snape's mouth contorted into another nasty smile. 

"So! Is this another treasured gift from Mr. Weasley? Or is it- something else? A letter, perhaps, written in invisible ink? Or- instructions to get into Hogsmeade without passing the dementors? Let me see, let me see…" Snape muttered, taking out his wand and smoothing the parchment out on his desk. I leaned over to see what he was doing. 

"Reveal your secret!" Snape said, touching his wand to the parchment. Nothing at all happened.

"Show yourself," Snape said, tapping the paper sharply. Again nothing happened.

"Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" He said, hitting the parchment with his wand. Suddenly, words began to appear and I leaned against Snape's shoulder as I struggled to see.

"_Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."_

Snape froze. Potter was staring at the message, dumbstruck, but it didn't stop there. More writing appeared beneath the first in a different handwriting.

"_Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git."_

I covered my mouth with my hand as more words appeared.

"_Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor."_

"_Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slime ball."_

There was a deathly silence in which I chose to move away from them again and retreat back into my corner. 

"So…" Snape said softly, "We'll see about this…"

He strode over to the fireplace, seized a fistful of glittering powder from a jar, and tossed it into the flames.

"Lupin!" Snape called into the fire, "I want a word!"

A large shape appeared in the fire, revolving very fast, and a moment later Professor Lupin stepped out, brushing ash off his shabby robes. 

"You called, Severus?" said Lupin mildly.

"I certainly did," said Snape furiously, "I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this."

Snape indicated the parchment where the words of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs still shown. An odd expression appeared on Lupin's face.

"well?" said Snape. He looked to be doing some very quick thinking…or perhaps he was trying not to laugh. 

"_Well_?" Snape repeated, "This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing."

"Full of Dark Magic?" Lupin said mildly, "Do you really think so, Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who reads it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop-"

"Indeed?" said Snape, his jaw rigid with anger, "You think a joke shop could supply him with such a thing? You don't think it more likely he got it _directly from the manufacturers?"_

No one in the room, myself included, seemed to know what Snape was talking about. 

"You mean, by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?" Lupin asked, "Harry, do you know any of these men?"

"No," replied Potter quickly. 

"you see, Severus?" said Lupin as he turned back to Snape, "It looks like a Zonko product to me-"

Suddenly Weasley came bursting through the office door, completely out of breath. He stopped just short of crashing into me and I scampered out of the way as he clutched a stitch in his side.

"I- gave- Harry- that- stuff," he choked, "Bought- it…in Zonko's…ages- ago…"

"Well!" said Lupin cheerfully, clapping his hands together, "That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I?"

Lupin snatched the parchment and tucked it into his robes.

"Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay- excuse us, Severus-" 

Lupin swept Potter and Weasley out in front of him and shut the door behind him. There was another moment of silence.

"Don't bring the werewolf in next time," I said with a sigh, "I was looking forward to seeing some punishment. The air was full of lies."

**Chapter 46**

The next day as we were walking back from our Care of Magical Creatures class Draco insisted on telling me how his father had gotten the committee to order the execution of Buckbeak, the hippogriff that had slashed his arm. Personally I didn't want Buckbeak to be slain. I was pretty sure Draco had provoked him, but I didn't say anything. Hagrid was crying loudly and when we reached the castle Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle hung back to listen to him. When Hagrid hurried away, his face buried in a handkerchief, Draco began to laugh.

"Look at him blubber! Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic? And he's supposed to be our teacher!" said Draco. Potter and Weasley both made moves towards Draco, but Hermione got there first. I stopped and turned around when I heard a loud SMACK! She had slapped Draco in the face with all her strength. Draco staggered backwards and everyone who saw it was flabbergasted.

"Don't you _dare _call Hagrid pathetic, you foul- you evil-" she began.

"Hermione!" said Weasley, grabbing her hand.

"Get _off, _Ron!" She shrieked. She pulled out her wand and Draco took a step backwards.

"C'mon," Draco muttered and he, Crabbe, and Goyle hurried towards the dungeons, leaving me trying to stifle fits of laughter. 

The Easter Holidays came quickly and it wasn't a time to relax. I had so much homework that I was practically flooded with it. I still had my Occlumency lessons, but during one such lesson Snape withdrew from my mind sooner than usual.

"You've got a lot of homework, don't you?" He inquired.

"Yeah. How'd you-"

"I just spent the last hour in your head how do you _think _I know," He retorted, smirking slightly, "If you want you can bring your things in here and work on them. You could try blocking your mind while doing your homework. It'll give you some good multitasking practice."

I went back to the common room, grabbed my bag of books, and returned to the Potions classroom. Snape was now sitting at his desk, writing something. I couldn't help but notice he was using the quill and ink I had secretly given him for Christmas.

A few hours later I had finished my homework, but I had a terrible headache. I had been trying to keep up my mental barricade while writing my Vampire Essay which was extremely overdue. Every now and then Snape would comment on my Occlumency or lack thereof and I would have to work even harder to keep my mental block up. 

"You misspelled 'Bulgaria'," He said from where he was sitting. I looked down at my essay and saw he was right. He must've seen it through my mind. I cursed silently and furiously grabbed my quill and fixed the error. 

"You also forgot to add a comma after 'and' in the second paragraph," He added, still not looking up. I dotted the comma and looked up at him.

"You're not supposed to help me, you're a teacher," I said shortly. He looked up at me and smirked. I had to resist the temptation of throwing my quill at him, even if it would have only been playfully. 

"You should go and get some sleep," He said to me.

"Why?"

"The final Quidditch match is tomorrow between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Don't you want to go and watch?" 

"Will you be there?"

"In the front row."

"I might go…as long as it's not raining." 

The next morning I walked out with my fellow Slytherins to the Quidditch field. I wished Draco and the others good luck as they headed for the locker room. I headed into the stands and spotted Snape sitting in the front row, wearing robes of green to support Slytherin. I sat down to the right of him and Jen sat beside me, looking nervous. I shielded my eyes from the bright sunlight as I looked out over the field. The commentator, Lee Jordan, announced the players as they came out onto the field.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" he yelled, "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years-"

The roar of boos from my fellow Slytherins was deafening. 

"And here come to Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill-"

More boos from the Slytherins. Snape smiled grimly. 

I watched as the whistle was blown and fourteen broomsticks rose into the air. I followed the game for a moment and watched as Angelina from Gryffindor scored. Then Marcus Flint smashed into her, nearly knocking her from her broom, earning cheers from the Slytherins and boos from the Gryffindors. 

My head was aching by the time something interesting happened next. Draco grabbed hold of Potter's broomstick and was holding him back. 

"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics!" Madam Hooch screeched, rising into the air towards Draco.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Howled Lee Jordan into the megaphone, "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B-"

No one bothered to tell him off as he very loudly called Draco a bad name. Even Professor McGonagall, who usually made sure the commentary was censored, was shaking her finger in Draco's direction and shouting loudly. 

"That's a true Slytherin for you," I said with a sigh.

"No, I think that's just Draco," Jen said, grinning.

"Yes, but he accomplished what he wanted, penalty or not. Potter's lost sight of the snitch," Snape said quietly. 

Gryffindor was leading eighty to twenty when Potter knocked Draco's arm out of the way and caught the golden Snitch, ending the game. The roar from the Gryffindors was loud enough to drown out the disappointed cries of my fellow Slytherins. Snape didn't look happy, either. Jen was almost in tears. 

**Chapter 47**

It was almost a week later that everyone started to forget about losing the Quidditch Cup. June was coming up fast but everyone was too busy studying to enjoy the summertime air. I spent most of my spare time looking over notes and old homework, trying to memorize different things. I practiced Cheering Charms with Jen a few times and they were always a little too strong, leaving her in peals of laughter for hours. It got to the point to where she refused to help me and I can't say that I blamed her. 

Exam week finally came and a sort of quiet hush fell over the castle. Snape told me that I wouldn't have Occlumency lessons so that I could study more for my exams, for which I was grateful. My Potions exam was by far the easiest and most exciting for me. We were brewing up Confusing Concoctions and towards the end of the class Snape walked over to me and peered in my cauldron. 

"Very good, Casper," He murmured quietly, "Full marks."

I practically glowed with pride. 

The last day of the exams Snape said that we would resume Occlumency lessons that night. I was able to sneak out a little earlier than usual because everyone was exhausted from their exams. I knocked on the classroom door and when there was no answer I went inside. Snape was nowhere to be seen, but the Wolfsbane Potion was bubbling on the fire. 

"He must be gone to take some to Lupin," I murmured to myself. I considered waiting there for him, but what fun would that have been? I slipped back out the door as quietly as I had come and made my way to Lupin's office. I knocked quietly on the door and again there was no answer. The door was unlocked and I opened it quietly. 

No one was inside of the office, but the goblet of Wolfsbane Potion was sitting on the desk, still full, next to a familiar-looking piece of parchment. It was a map and on the map were little dots moving about, each one labeled with a particular name. It was a map of Hogwarts and the labeled dots corresponded with each persons location. I knew that because there was a small dot labeled 'Casper Addams' in Lupin's office. I searched for quite a while before I found the dot labeled 'Severus Snape' towards the edge of Hogwarts grounds near the Whomping Willow. I nearly had a stroke when I saw the names of the dots beside him. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and _Sirius Black! _Sirius Black was a criminal and if Snape was with him then he may very well be in danger. Without thinking I ran out of the office, down the stairs, and out of the castle. 

I heard a loud, mournful howl as I made my way as quickly as possible towards the Whomping Willow. I glanced up and saw the full moon had come out from behind a cloud. Lupin hadn't taken his potion…that meant he had transformed. I increased my speed and pulled out my wand. I had only just realized I still had my Disillusionment Charm on and I quickly removed it. Now was no time to worry about being out after hours.

By the time I got there no one else was around, but Snape was hanging in midair, unconscious. Someone had used the spell _Mobilicorpus _on him and I could only guess what had been used to knock him out. Whatever it was he had a pretty nasty cut on his forehead. I used my wand to sever the invisible bonds that held him there and when he was safely on the ground I knelt beside him. I tried shaking him awake, but to no avail. He'd obviously been knocked out by magic.

"_Ennervate," _I muttered pointing my wand at him. Snape opened his eyes immediately and looked up at me, his eyes glittering faintly in the moonlight.

"Casper? Wha-?"

"what the hell is going on? Where's Sirius Black?" I asked him, letting him get up.

"Black? Oh. Potter and his friends knocked me out," He said. He walked towards the lake at a fast run.

"_Potter _knocked you out?" I demanded, striding to catch up, "What's going on?"

"Black is here. Lupin's been helping him sneak into the castle. He tried to pull off some story about Peter Pettigrew still being alive and a whole bunch of nonsense," Snape replied.

"Who's Peter Pettigrew?"

"I'll explain it later, Casper, for now help me find- aha!" 

He had spotted Black and Potter near the lake. A large crowd of Dementors were fleeing from something that looked like a silver stag. Someone had cast a Patronus. 

"They're both knocked out. I'll need your help to get them back up to the castle. Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley must be around here somewhere as well," Snape said. I nodded my head and pointed my wand at Sirius Black.

"_Incarcerous_," I muttered. Ropes flew from my wand tip and wrapped themselves around Black. 

We took them all up to the hospital wing and Snape cleverly reapplied my Disillusionment Charm as soon as we were inside the castle. Black was locked in a room on the Seventh Floor while Potter, Weasley, and Granger were put in separate beds in the Hospital wing. The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was at the school in no time when he heard what had happened. Fudge and Snape were standing outside of the Hospital Wing, waiting for Potter to wake up. I was with them, invisible and silent as always. 

"Shocking business…shocking…miracle none of them died…never heard the like…by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape…"

"Thank you, Minister," Snape said quietly. 

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, If I can wangle it!"

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."

"Nasty cut you've got there….Black's work I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact it was Potter, Weasley, and Granger, Minister."

"_No!_"

"Black had bewitched them. I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape…they obviously thought they were going to catch Black single handed. They've gotten away with a great deal before now…I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves…and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster-"

"Ah, well, Snape…Harry Potter, you know…we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."

"And yet- is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended- at the very least- for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister- against all school rules- after all the precautions put in place for his protection- out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer- and I have reason to believe he's been visiting Hogsmeade illegally, too-"

"Well, well….we shall see, Snape, we shall see…The boy has undoubtedly been foolish… What amazes me the most is the behavior of the dementors…you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"

"No, Minister….by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances…"

"Extraordinary. And yet Black, Harry, and the girl-"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers and brought them all straight back to the castle."

We all heard a shout from inside the hospital wing and we all hurried inside. Potter was up and standing with his wand in his hand. 

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" said Fudge, agitated, "You should be in bed- has he had any chocolate?"

"Minister, listen!" shouted Harry, "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's-"

Fudge was shaking his head and smiling sadly.

"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control…"

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Potter screamed, "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

"Minister, listen, please," said Hermione, hurrying to Harry's side, "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and-" 

"You see, Minister?" said Snape, "Confunded, both of them…Black's done a very good job on them…"

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared. 

"Minister, Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily, "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!"

"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened! If they'd just listen-"

Madam Pomfrey suddenly shoved a large amount of chocolate into Potter's mouth. 

"Now, _please, _Minister, these children need care. Please leave-"

The door opened again and in walked Dumbledore. Potter was up again after swallowing a large amount of chocolate.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black-" Potter began.

"For heaven's sake!" cried Madam Pomfrey hysterically, "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist-"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly, "I have just been talking to Sirius Black-"

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape, "Something about a rat and Pettigrew being alive-"

"That indeed is Black's story," Dumbledore replied, surveying Snape carefully.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape, "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."

"That was because you were knocked out, Professor," said Hermione earnestly, "You didn't arrive in time to hear-"

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!" 

_If this goes on much longer I'm going to need a Sleeping Potion to knock me out. This screaming is killing me, _I thought to myself, hoping Snape was listening.

"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances-"

"I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly, "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy- please lave us."

"Headmaster!" Sputtered Madam Pomfrey, "they need treatment, they need rest-"

"This cannot wait. I must insist," replied Dumbledore.

Madam Pomfrey left in a flurry. Fudge consulted a large gold pocket watch and looked up at Dumbledore.

"The dementors should have arrived by now," he said, "I'll go meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."

Fudge held the door open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved an inch. 

"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered staring at Dumbledore unblinkingly.

"I wish to speak to Harry and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated. Snape took a step towards him.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed, "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill _me?_"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly. Snape turned on his heel and walked out the door. 

He and Fudge were making their way up to the Seventh Floor to meet the Dementors. I decided immediately that I wanted no part in whatever was about to take place and I tried to contact Snape with my mind. 

_I'm going to wait in your office until this is over, okay? _I thought. His eyes flicked to me and when the Minister's back was turned he nodded and mouthed the word 'go'.

**Chapter 48**

It was almost an hour before he returned to his office and by then he was furious. I was fully visible and sitting in the chair at his desk, leaning back in it. When the door burst open I quickly leapt out of the chair, but he didn't seem interested in that at the moment.

"What happened?" I asked quickly. 

"Black escaped! Sirius Black escaped! I know Potter had something to do with this, I just don't know how," He said through clenched teeth.

"Oh. Sorry, but I had to get out of there. The yelling was giving me a headache and I didn't particularly want to see the dementors…Not to mention the fact that the air was full of lies in the hospital room," I sad quietly.

"Let me explain what happened-"

"I don't require an explanation," I said quickly, "I just wanted to make sure-…Are you okay?"

He looked surprised at my concern and I quickly averted his eyes before he could say anything negative.

"I'm fine," He said finally, "Just a scratch is all."

"Good. I'm going to bed, then, I've had enough of this for tonight," I replied, heading for the door, "Goodnight, Professor Snape."

"Good night, Casper."

There wasn't much left to the school year after that. Snape was being even nastier to Potter than usual, which only I thought was possible. I was especially delighted when our exam results came in. I had scored Excellent in Potions, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I had done pretty fair in everything else. I had Occlumency lessons every night up until the last night of the school year.

"Very nice indeed," Snape said on the last night when I had managed to throw him out of my mind completely against his will, "You've become a very skilled Occulmens."

"As skilled as you?" I asked, trying to keep the note of hopefulness out of my voice by disguising it with something like sarcasm.

"No, not yet…but with practice I think you very well could be," He replied. I was secretly delighted.

The next morning trunks were packed and animals were in their cages as all the students climbed aboard the Hogwarts Express for the journey home. Jen and I managed to get a compartment all to ourselves and as the train began to pull away from the station I peered out the window, hoping for a last look at Hogwarts for the summer. 

"Don't worry," Jen said, pulling me back into my seat with some difficulty, "We'll be back in a few months."

"Yeah…yeah you're right," I murmured as I let Gabriel out of his cage so he could stretch his legs. I made a silent promise to myself that I would continue to block my mind every night before I went to sleep. 

The train pulled into the station a short while later and I put Gabriel back into his cage and Jen and I got off the train. Amy and Anthony were waiting for me just outside the Platform and between them, standing on his own two feet, was my little cousin Dylan. He ran over to me, his grey eyes shinning with delight, and I picked him up. He was still drooling and he didn't have his bottom two teeth yet. At that point I didn't care he was getting drool all over my T-shirt. I was just glad to be able to see him again.


	4. Book 4

_**One Month Later…**_

**Chapter 49 **

It was nearing the end of July and I was sitting on the couch, watching Dylan play with one of his second-hand toy cars that the neighbor's son, who was five years old, had given us. I was supposed to be writing and essay about the Goblin Wars for History of Magic. I glanced down at my half-completed essay and let out a sigh. The next moment I looked up Dylan grinned at me, drool running down his chin, and tossed his car at the wall. It went a lot farther than I would have thought and it hit the wall. I expected the car to smash into pieces, but instead it bounced off, as if it had hit a piece of rubber, and landed at Dylan's side where he picked it up and resumed playing with it. I stared at him and at the car for a moment before deciding that the car was tougher than it looked. _Weird, _I thought to myself, _that almost looked like magic._

But I hadn't done anything! Of that I was certain.

20 minutes later the doorbell rang. Anthony was at work and Amy was in the kitchen cooking lunch so I hurried to answer it. I opened the door and gaped at the person who stood before me…my grandmother.

My grandmother was perhaps 60 or older, but she still had the appearance and energy of someone a lot younger. Her eyes were the exact same shade of silver as mine were and her hair was a wispy blondish-white. I had only met her once before, when I was very young, and I had gotten the distinct impression then that she didn't like me. Now here she stood before me, dragging a trunk with one hand, and carrying a cage with an owl in it with the other. She beamed at me.

"There's my little witch!" She said, setting down the cage and the trunk and embracing me. Startled by the rush of human contact, which I detested, I pulled away.

"Wait a minute- how'd you know-" I began.

"I keep in touch with Dumbledore, of course," She replied, still beaming.

"You're a witch?" I hissed in disbelief.

"Of course I am!" She said indignantly, "You look just like your mother when she was your age. Come, help me bring my things inside. You grab Trista and I'll get the trunk."

She handed me the cage with the fluffy-looking owl in it. I backed inside the house and let my grandmother inside. She dragged the trunk in and shut the door.

"I hate lugging this stupid thing around," She muttered, pulling a wand out of her jacket pocket. She simply waved it and the trunk began to levitate a few feet off the ground. Dylan, who was still sitting in the middle of the floor, looked up at the trunk and giggled suddenly.

"That must be little Dylan! Where's Anthony?" Grandma asked me.

"Uh, he's at work, Grandma," I replied, feeling awkward.

"Oh, please don't call me Grandma, dear, it makes me feel old. Call me Connie," She insisted. At that moment Amy walked out of the kitchen, holding a plate that she had apparently been scrubbing with the dishrag that was in her other hand. She let out a squeal, dropped the plate with a crash, and ran forward to embrace Connie.

"Connie! I can't believe you're here! I thought that you were in America on business?" Amy squealed.

"I _was _and when I got back I put in for some leave time at the Ministry and decided to come visit for a while. You don't mind, do you?" Connie asked anxiously.

"Of course not, of course not! Let's see… we had the guest room made into a nursery for Dylan, but if we put his crib in Casper's room you should be able to stay there. The spare bed is still in there, we were going to leave it for when Dylan got older. I'll have to change the sheets of course…" Amy droned on and on about the boring housewife things she would have to do and I couldn't help but notice that I wasn't the only one tuning her out. Connie's eyes were on Dylan, who was laying on his stomach playing with his car. Gabriel was not far away, curled up in a patch of sunlight, no doubt wishing he were back at Hogwarts chasing mice and whatnot. Dylan ran over Gabriel's tail with the toy car and the cat looked up at him, annoyed, but seemed to decide he couldn't be bothered with scratching the toddler.

Connie set the trunk down for a moment and turned to the broken plate that Amy had dropped. She pointed her wand and said '_reparo_' and the shards of plate flew back together. Amy didn't even notice.

"-Casper, take your grandmother's things up to Dylan's room," Amy's voice said, penetrating my thoughts. I was about to protest when Connie lifted her wand again.

"Nonsense, Amy, I've got it under control," She insisted. She walked up the stairs with the trunk floating in front of her. I carried the owl, whose name was apparently Trista, up after her.

Dylan's room was painted a light blue color and his crib, with its white chipped paint, stood in the corner. There was a dresser in which a few of his little clothes were folded and there was a spare bed in the other corner of the room. I set the owl's cage on top of the dresser and Connie set the trunk down with a thud.

"Should I let the owl out?" I asked her.

"Trista? Yes, she'd probably like that," Connie replied with a nod. I opened the door and the small owl fluttered out, soaring around the room and hooting delightedly.

"So, you work for the Ministry of Magic?" I asked her.

"Oh yes. I can't tell you which department though. That's strictly top secret," She said, winking at me.

"Mm-hmm."

"So, how have you enjoyed your first few years at Hogwarts? What's your favorite class? What house are you in?"

She seemed to have a billion questions for me and I tried to answer them all as fast as I could, but she was giving me a headache.

"Oh, I'm afraid I should be letting you ask me a few questions, too. Forgive me. Is there anything you'd like to ask me?" Connie offered after she'd been going on for about 10 minutes.

"Er, not really," I said. I couldn't think of anything at the moment that I wanted to ask her, but she didn't seem the least bit put out.

"Let's go downstairs and see what Amy's making for lunch," She said delightedly. As I traipsed down the stairs after her I couldn't help but wonder if someone had put a permanent Cheering Charm on my grandmother.

Anthony came home a few hours later and he was just as delighted as Amy to find Connie had come for a visit. Anthony moved Dylan's crib into my room, which made it very cluttered in there. Amy cooked an elaborate dinner while Connie and I sat in the living room with Dylan.

"I was in Ravenclaw, you know," Connie said to me, "And so was your mother. I don't know how you managed to get into Slytherin, but if you have all the grades you say you have I know you inherited Mary's brains."

"What about my father?" I asked eagerly, "What house was he in?"

She pursed her lips and I couldn't help but notice her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I don't know, dear," She replied, "I don't know who your father is."

I knew in an instant she was lying to me, but I decided to let the topic slide.

**Chapter 50**

After dinner we were all sitting in the living room drinking tea, except for Dylan who was upstairs asleep, when there was a pecking noise on the window. Connie and I were both familiar with this noise and knew what it was immediately but Anthony and Amy both seemed perturbed.

"I think someone's at our window," Amy whispered to Anthony. Connie and I both shared a laugh.

"It's an owl," I explained as Connie went to the window to let it in. Anthony's eyes narrowed as a big, grey, barn owl flew in through the open window and landed in my lap.

"It must be for you dear," Connie said as she sat back down, "That's one of the school owls."

I took the letter the owl was carrying and it flew off without another sound. It was the school letter and item list for next year.

"Ooh, wonderful," Connie said, clapping her hands together, "I can take you to Diagon Alley to get your things tomorrow."

"Oh, sure. That'd be great," I said with false enthusiasm.

"You'd better write and tell the man who usually comes to take you," Amy said faintly. I knew why she and Anthony exchanged an anxious glance when they thought I wasn't looking. They didn't like Snape… probably because he'd rarely spoken to them. They were only Muggles after all.

"Who usually comes to take you?" Connie asked me.

"Professor Snape," I replied casually. Her smile faltered for the first time since she'd come.

"Severus Snape?" She asked slowly. I nodded my head. Her brow was furrowed and I could see she clearly had a low opinion on Snape.

"What's wrong with Professor Snape?" I asked her in a slightly cold voice.

"Severus Snape was a Death Eater," She said, "One of You-Know-Who's followers. I was at Igor Karkaroff's trial when Dumbledore had to defend Snape to all of the Wizengamot once Karkaroff named his as a Death Eater."

This didn't surprise me as much as she thought it would have. I knew Snape had been fascinated with the Dark Arts and wanted to be a Death Eater when he was younger, I had heard Lily accuse him of it.

"So?" I said to Connie, "He was obviously cleared if he's at Hogwarts instead of Azkaban. What happened at the trial?"

"Dumbledore vouched for him. Said that Snape had turned spy against You-Know-Who 'at great personal risk'. Still, there are those who think that he'd turn back to You-Know-Who if he got a chance," Connie said quietly, "Mad-eye Moody for one…but then again Mad-eye is a bit of a loony these days."

I didn't know or care who Mad-Eye was at that point and I was feeling a little furious towards my Grandmother. How _dare _she accuse Snape of turning back to the Dark Lord? If she'd seen what I had seen back when I was having dreams of his memories, she'd understand.

"If Dumbledore says that Professor Snape has turned spy against the Dark Lord then that's good enough for me…and it should be good enough for you, too," I retorted coolly, "If you're as good a friend of Dumbledore as you claim. And don't you think you shouldn't be running your mouth about spies and such things? You never know who could be listening. You could very well get someone killed."

"Oh come now! We aren't living in the Dark Ages anymore, Casper. You-Know-Who is gone and he won't be coming back," She said, her smile returning, "You should run along to bed now. We're going to Diagon Alley first thing in the morning."

I retreated up to my bedroom, glad to get away from her and her idiocy. Dylan was sleeping soundly and I turned the bedside lamp on without waking him up. I pulled out some parchment, ink, and a quill from my trunk and lay on my stomach to write to Snape.

_Professor Snape,_

_My Grandmother's going to take me to Diagon Alley to get my school things, so you needn't bother. She's a witch. She says she works at the Ministry of Magic. Her name is Connie Addams and I'm not entirely sure that I like her. _

_See you on September First,_

_Casper Addams_

I walked over to the window and peered out. Connie's owl, Trista, was swooping around in the night sky. I wondered how I was going to make her come to me when she swooped right towards my window sill, startling me. She perched and looked at me expectantly.

"Hello there, Trista. Would you like to deliver a letter for me?" I asked awkwardly. She hooted and blinked her bright amber eyes at me. I attached the letter to her leg.

"That's for Professor Snape at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," I said quietly. She bobbed her head once and took off flying towards the North.

The next morning Connie woke me up early, all animosity from the previous night forgotten. I got up, feeling grumpy and tired, and followed her downstairs for breakfast.

"How're we getting to Diagon Alley?" I asked with a yawn, "Flying?"

"Good heavens, no! That would take too long. I've had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network for the day," She replied, putting a toasted bagel on my plate. I'd never traveled by Floo Powder before, but I'd read about it. Basically you just tossed in the Floo Powder, stepped into the flames once they turned green, and then shouted the name of the place you wanted to travel to.

"I've never traveled by Floo Powder before," I admitted, "but it should be easy, right?"

"As long as you speak clearly you'll be fine," She assured me.

I devoured the bagel quickly and found myself wishing I could have more, but I didn't ask. I never asked, because I knew the answer would be no. We didn't have enough money for me to eat a lot. I went upstairs to get dressed, still feeling hungry. I dressed in a pair of old jeans that, I noticed with a start, were three or four inches too short for me. I had apparently grown since last summer! _About time! _I thought with some satisfaction as I tried on one of my favorite shirts to find it was too small, also.

I went downstairs a few minutes later dressed in the too short jeans that almost looked deliberate and a black t-shirt that wasn't too bad, but still rather tight. My black leather boots still fit, for which I was grateful. I loved having small feet.

"You look just like those American muggle teenagers I saw when I was working in America," said Connie in a rather disapproving tone, "They have all sorts of piercing and they wear nothing but black. They call them Goths."

I rolled my eyes discreetly as she went on about my clothes. When she was done insulting me she pulled out a little bag of green powder and walked over to the fireplace.

"I'll go first and then you can follow. Remember to speak clearly," She said, tossing in a handful of Floo Powder. She handed me the bag. The flames turned green and she stepped into them.

"Diagon Alley," She said clearly and then she disappeared with a whoosh. I took a handful of Floo Powder, tossed it in, waited for the flames to turn green, and then stepped in. It felt like warm breath.

"Diagon Alley," I said. The fireplace started to spin or perhaps it was just me spinning. When I opened my eyes I saw I was standing inside a fireplace in what appeared to be the Leaky Cauldron. Connie was standing beside the fireplace, waiting for me.

"Well done, Casper," she said with her usual smile, "And on your first try, too."

I followed Connie through the brick wall in the back of the Leaky Cauldron that led to Diagon Alley. The sun was shining brightly and the air was thick and muggy.

"So, were d'you think we should go first?" Connie asked delightedly as we took off down the streets.

"Er, probably I should get some money from my vault at Gringotts-" I began but she cut me off.

"Don't be silly, dear. I have plenty of money to get you what you need and more. Call it making up for all the Christmases and Birthdays I've missed," She replied brightly, "And speaking of birthdays- isn't yours this month?"

"Last month, actually. I turned fourteen," I replied, "Probably we should go to Madam Malkin's first. I needed to get new school robes and…er, what are _dress robes_?"

I was scanning my list of school items.

"They're robes for formal occasions. I forgot you'd be needing those this year. A big thing is happening at Hogwarts this year," She said mysteriously.

"What 'big thing'?" I asked curiously.

"Ah, but I'm not supposed to tell you. It'll ruin the surprise," She said.

**Chapter 51**

We spent a long time in Madam Malkin's as I was measured for my school robes as well as my dress robes. I really wanted black robes similar to my school ones, but Connie insisted that I try on the silver ones that 'matched my eyes'.

"There, dear, you look absolutely gorgeous," She said when I tried the robes on. I looked in the full-length mirror and smiled bitterly at my reflection. I had never thought of myself as beautiful before, but I had grown a lot since last year and my flawless pale skin combined with my smooth black hair contrasted perfectly with silver robes which seemed to shimmer in the light. They really did match my eyes.

"I do look good," I said, surprised, "Not that I actually care."

We were heading out of Madam Malkin's when I crashed head-on into a rather short girl.

"Hey, watch where you're- Casper!" She said, shocked.

"Jen!" I exclaimed.

"My God…you've grown a lot," She said, sounding impressed. She was right. In my second year at Hogwarts we'd been exactly the same height and at the beginning of last year she'd been slightly taller than me.

"Yeah, I know," I said, smiling slightly, "I had to get new robes."

"Yeah. Hey where's Professor Snape? He's usually lurking somewhere around you," Jen said, looking around.

"I'm actually here with my grandmother," I said, indicating Connie who was standing a little ways away, reading a sign.

"Call me Connie," she said brightly, walking over to shake Jen's hand.

"Okay. I'm Jennifer Ortiz," Jen replied slightly alarmed.

"You could come with us to the bookstore, if you're Casper's friend," Connie offered.

"Okay. Sure. I haven't been there yet."

We followed her at a distance so we couldn't be overheard as she marched towards Flourish and Blot's.

"Is she kinda…nutty?" Jen said in an undertone.

"Nuttier than Dumbledore," I said with a nod, "I think someone put a too-strong Cheering Charm on her."

"Yeah. So what about Snape? I bet you were depressed when you had to tell him you were coming with your grandma," Jen said.

"No, not particularly. Snape's just a teacher," I said with a shrug.

"Yeah, sure, he's _just a teacher_," She replied with a mischievous smile.

"What're you implying?" I asked with a frown, but at that moment we reached Flourish and Blot's and our conversation was cut short.

After getting all our books we went and got some quills, ink, and parchment from the shop next door. We visited a bunch of other shops and Jen couldn't help but notice that I kept my arms crossed most of the time. She asked me about it.

"My body temperature is lower than the surrounding air," I replied, "I'm doing it to feel cooler. …God, I hate sunlight."

I had sunburn on the back of my neck and on my face. I was glad to step into the cooler air of Eeylops Owl Emporium while Jen and Connie both bought some Owl Treats. Since I didn't have an owl I didn't bother buying any treats.

Jen met her mum a short while later and I told Connie I was ready to go home. We'd gotten everything I needed. We returned to the Leaky Cauldron and less than ten minutes later we were back in my house.

I retreated to my room to pour over my new books and pretty much just get away from Connie. I was putting aloe on my sunburn when I heard a distinct tapping at the window. It was Trista and she had a reply from Snape for me. I took the letter from her.

"Connie's got Owl Treats for you," I informed the owl and she flew off to the next window. I flopped down on the bed and eagerly opened the letter.

_Casper,_

_Just letting you know I got your letter. I know Connie Addams from a distance and she does work for the Ministry of Magic. Personally, I don't like her very much so don't feel bad. Also, I wouldn't believe a word she says…about anything. Hope you're having a good summer, though I can't imagine you are if Connie Addams is there. See you September 1st__._

I couldn't help but notice that he failed to sign his name at the bottom, as I was pretty sure he'd never done with any of the other notes he'd sent me. This one didn't burst into flames like the note he'd sent me by Gabriel. I folded it up and shoved it in my trunk along with the things I'd gotten in Diagon Alley. I lay back on my bed and smiled up at the ceiling, feeling rather peaceful.

My peacefulness didn't last long, however, as about 5 minutes later there was a loud howl from downstairs. I leapt to my feet and hurried downstairs.

"CASPER ARBOK ADDAMS GET DOWN HERE, NOW!" Roared Anthony's voice. Wondering what I could have possibly done to make my cousin so upset that he used my middle name, I tried to run down the stairs, tripped, and stumbled down the last four. I hurried into the living room, panting and out of breath.

I didn't have to ask what was wrong. Dylan was sitting in the middle of the living room floor with my wand in his hand, poking at his toy fire truck which had burst into flames. He seemed delighted. I hurried over and snatched my wand from him.

"No, Dylan. No play with Casper's wand," I said, trying to be strict, but unable to resist his cute little toddler face.

"Put out the fire," Anthony growled. I pointed my wand at the fire, about to put it out, when I remembered.

"I can't, I'm not allowed to use magic outside of school, they'll expel me," I retorted. Connie came running down the stairs at that moment, knocking me out of the way as she did so.

"_Aguamenti,_" She cried, pointing her own wand at the fire truck. Water erupted from the tip of her wand and doused the fire truck. Dylan looked sad for a fraction of a second, and then smiled happily as he continued to play with his fire truck.

"How _dare _you leave that…that _thing _laying about the house?" Anthony hissed in a quiet, dangerous voice that reminded me eerily of Snape when he was talking to Potter, "What if Dylan would have lit himself on fire? Hmm? He would have _died _that's what!"

I shrank back against the wall, feeling a cold chill spread through me almost as if a Dementor had entered the room. Suddenly an owl soared into the room, bearing a letter with my name on it. Anthony's face was livid as I opened the letter.

_Dear Ms Addams,_

_We have received intelligence that magic was used to create a fire at your place of residence at five o'clock this evening in the presence of a Muggle. As you know, underage wizards and witches are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spell work on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C)._

_We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy._

_Enjoy your Holidays!_

_Yours sincerely,_

Mafalda Hopkirk

**Improper use of magic Office**

_Ministry of Magic_

"What is this bull? I didn't even use any magic!" I said furiously, thrusting the paper at Connie who was looking slightly frightened at my enraged expression.

"I…I can fix this. I'll go right now. I'm higher up on the food chain that Mafalda…she's a good friend. It won't go on your record," She said quickly. She Disapparated with a pop leaving me and Anthony alone, besides Dylan who seemed quite oblivious to our seething anger.

"I hope they do expel you. It's unnatural! _Magic! _whoever heard of such a ridiculous thing!" Anthony hissed. I was briefly reminded of one of Snape's memories. Anthony was a hell of a lot like Lily's sister, Tuney.

"So that's what your problem is?" I retorted, "You hate magic? That's why you haven't hardly spoken to me since I got my Hogwarts letter? What about Connie? She's a witch, why don't you get snippy with her?!"

"She keeps it to a minimum and rarely uses it in front of me. She'd _never _hurt Dylan, _ever_."

"I'd never hurt Dylan," I said, shocked and appalled, "What would even make you say such a thing?"

"HE WAS PLAYING WITH THE DAMNED THING! You keep it in your pocket all the time, how else would he get it, unless you gave it to him?!" He shouted. All of a sudden Dylan began to cry. He rarely cried. He rarely made any noise at all. He was two years old and he still couldn't speak and we still couldn't afford to take him to the doctor. His crying was pitiful and I shoved my wand in my pocket before walking over to pick him up.

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Anthony said before I had even touched him. Furious I launched myself at Anthony, knocking him to the ground. He was larger than me and a lot stronger, too, but as soon as I grabbed my wand he froze. I was so angry I could have cursed him. I probably _would _have cursed him if a hand hadn't snagged the back of my shirt and pulled me backwards. It was Amy and she had Dylan in one arm.

"Casper, go to your room. Take Dylan with you. Your cousin and I need to have a talk," She said quietly. I took Dylan without protest and fled upstairs. I set Dylan and his fire truck down in the crib and they began to play merrily as if nothing had happened. I could have kicked myself in the head. I'd let my emotions get the better of me. I probably would have killed Anthony if Amy hadn't pulled me back. Now they were probably going to kick me out of the house.

**Chapter 52**

I was not kicked out of the house, however. Amy apologized for Anthony's behavior and told me she knew I would never hurt Dylan intentionally and that he must have grabbed my wand without me knowing. Anthony wouldn't speak to me or even look at me. To him I no longer existed. Connie rarely spoke. She seemed rather terrified of me. I couldn't understand why they were so scared. I hadn't done anything.

On September 1st I was more than happy to catch a bus to the train station all by myself. No one on the bus saw anything unusual, just a girl with a cat and some luggage. When I got to the train station I wasted no time in going through the barrier by myself and finding a compartment. Jen found me a few minutes before the train took off.

"_There _you are! I've been looking everywhere for you. What's up?" She asked me, dragging her trunk into the compartment. She set Aaron's cage on the seat next to her before I replied.

"I'm not in a very good mood," I replied grimly, and then I told her everything that had happened since Connie came, excluding the part about her calling Snape a Death Eater, of course.

"I think craziness must run in your family. First your Grandma, now your cousin…" she said once I had finished my story.

"Yeah, and you haven't even met my Aunt Celia. She's Anthony's mum and she's never liked me," I replied, "Let's not talk about them anymore."

We were pretty much quiet until the trolley came with all the candies and snacks. We bought a bunch of different things and I was eating some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans when Jen remembered something.

"I'll be able to go to Hogsmeade this year! I'm a third year so I can go with you. Mum signed the form yesterday," She said happily.

"That's great," I said enthusiastically. Deep inside I was beginning to wish my mum was still alive. I'd never really given her or my father too much thought. I didn't even know how they died.

"you should've written me a letter," Jen said quietly, "you could've come to stay with me."

"I forgot," I answered, "And I thought we agreed not to talk about that anymore."

In truth I hadn't really wanted to go. I'd have to explain to everyone about losing control of my anger. I _hated _losing control of my emotions, whatever they may be.

"Right. So how's your nightmares been?" She asked me.

"I haven't had any at all, actually," I said brightly, "and for that I am very thankful."

"Did you hear about what happened at the Quidditch World Cup?" She inquired, as if suddenly remembering something.

"Uh, no," I said blankly, "You know I don't follow sports…or read the news."

"No, not the outcome of the match. I mean what happened afterwards. Hang on," She said, rummaging through her trunk. Curious I chewed on a cinnamon flavored Jelly Bean. She pulled out a newspaper article from a few weeks ago.

_SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP _Read the Headlines. Beneath it was a picture of a symbol in the sky. A large green skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth.

"Hey! Isn't that-"

"-The Dark Mark. Yeah. Read the article," Jen encouraged. I scanned the page quickly. Someone had shot the Dark Mark into the sky after a bunch of Death Eaters in masks captured a family of Muggles and tortured them. There were all sorts of horrid things written, but the thing about the Death Eaters stuck with me until I finished reading the article.

"There were _Death Eaters _at the Quidditch World Cup?" I asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah."

"What, were they expecting to find the Dark Lord flying on a broomstick?" I said with a sarcastic smirk.

"My dad reckons they were out to have a bit of fun. Gotta be bored since You-Know-Who is dead," She replied, ignoring my sarcasm.

"Dumbledore thinks the Dark Lord isn't dead," I said quietly.

"I don't want to imagine that," She said with a shudder, "Why do you call him that? 'The Dark Lord'?"

"No one ever told me his rightful name. Besides, that's what Snape calls him," I replied with a shrug.

"That's what the Death Eaters all call him," Jen said quietly, "My mum told me so."

"Snape's not a Death Eater!" I snapped.

"I didn't mean he was," She said quickly, "I just meant…maybe he knew one…or something."

She was lying to me, but I thought it was best to let the subject drop. I didn't want to get into a fight with my best friend.

I was never more eager to get to Hogwarts. The sky was grey and thick with clouds. It was thundering and raining.

"I like this kind of weather," I said delightedly as I splashed my way from the train to the horseless carriages, "I just finally got rid of my sunburn from that day in Diagon Alley."

"Well, I like the rain just fine when it's outside and I'm inside, but Casper I'm _freezing. _Let's get into a carriage," She replied, shivering. We got into one of the carriages and it took off immediately.

When the carriages reached the stone steps everyone started to hurry inside to where they knew a feast and warmth would be waiting. Personally, I sort of wished I could've stayed outside a little longer. Jen let out a screech-like yell as a water balloon fell from the sky and splashed her with even more water. We both looked up to see Peeves, the mischief making poltergeist. He tossed a water balloon down at me and it landed on my head with a splash.

"You miserable son of a-"

"Casper! Here comes Professor McGonagall," Jen hissed, clamping a hand over my mouth. While Professor McGonagall shouted at Peeves, Jen and I went into the Great Hall. I didn't feel so cheerful anymore. That water balloon had hurt and now I really was soaked.

"He better be glad McGonagall showed up. I know a Charm that destroys ectoplasm," I muttered as Jen and I took our seats at the Slytherin table.

No one said much as we waited for the Sorting to get over and done with. It seemed to take longer than usual and the Hat's song seemed longer as well. Finally Dumbledore stood up and said _"tuck in" _and the feast appeared. I stuffed myself full of meat, potatoes, and pudding. I was glad that I could finally eat whatever I wanted.

"Keep eating like that and you won't fit into your dress robes," Jen said as I devoured the last of the pudding on my plate.

"Did I eat a lot?" I asked blankly, staring at my now empty plate.

"Not _a lot. _Just more than usual," She replied quickly, "I guess because you're growing so much."

"Oh…yeah…that explains it."

"Explains what?"

"I'm usually _never _hungry, but I've been wanting to eat a lot lately," I said, drinking some pumpkin juice.

"Maybe you're pregnant," She said jokingly. From her mind I accidentally heard one phrase that she wasn't going to say _'with Snape's love child'._ I choked on my pumpkin juice and it squirted out my nose. She'd meant it jokingly, of course, and she hadn't really said the last part out loud so I wasn't angry. I looked at her, amazed.

"Jeez, Casper, chill out. I was only joking," She said, handing me a napkin. I mopped the pumpkin juice off the front of my robes. Not that it made much of a difference since I was soaked with rain water and balloon water. I was going to have to try hard not to let that phrase cross my mind ever again, especially when he was near.

**Chapter 53**

When the feast had disappeared Dumbledore stood up to address the school.

"So! Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you all that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some 437 items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

There was a quiet uproar from the various Quidditch players and supporters. Even Draco looked glummer than usual.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teacher's time and energy- but I am sure you all will enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-"

At that moment there was a deafening roar of thunder and the doors to the Great Hall were thrown open.

There stood a man who was frightening and creepy. He walked towards the High Table and everyone in the hall was silent and we could hear the dull _clunk, clunk _of a wooden leg as he walked. His face looked like it had been carved out of wood, too, and every inch of it was scarred. He had a large chunk missing from his nose and only one of his eyes was normal. The other eye was larger than the other and vivid electric blue in color. It seemed almost mechanical and it was whirring around in its socket, staring at everyone. The man shook hands with Dumbledore and then sat down.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody," Dumbledore said brightly. Only two people applauded, one of which was Dumbledore and the other of which was Hagrid. Moody didn't seem to take the lack of enthusiasm perfectly. Everyone was pretty much transfixed by his appearance.

"Wait a minute…I've heard that name before. Mad-Eye Moody," I said quietly.

"You _know _this guy?" Jen asked, appalled.

"No, just heard his name in passing," I said quickly. Mad-Eye Moody was the man Connie mentioned when trying to convince me Snape was a Death Eater. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," Dumbledore continued, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an even that has not been held for over a century. It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" said someone loudly from the Gryffindor table. It was one of the Weasley twins. Nearly everyone laughed and even Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.

"I am _not _joking, Mr. Weasley, though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar-"

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly and Dumbledore smiled sheepishly.

"Er- but maybe this is not the time…no…where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament…well some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation and allow their attention to wonder freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some 700 years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools odd wizardry; Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years and it was generally agreed to be the most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities- that is, until the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament. None of which have been very successful. However, our own Department of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

"The Head of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons prize money.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age- that is to say, seventeen years or older- will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be unable to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

"the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Dumbledore sat down and began to talk to Mad-Eye Moody as the Great Hall began to empty. I followed my fellow Slytherins out but instead of going down into the dungeons I waited patiently to see if Snape would come out. He did come out of the Great Hall, after all the students were cleared out. He didn't see me waiting for him and when he got close enough I did something that surprised even me- I jumped out from behind the statue and hugged him!

He looked surprised at first and thoroughly startled. He tolerated this for a short while and then pushed me away.

"To what do I owe that… unexpected surprise," He said, bewildered.

"I haven't had anymore dreams or nightmares since I started blocking my mind," I said with a smile.

"Oh. Good for you. I assume you've been practicing your Occlumency then?"

"Definitely."

We started to walk towards the dungeons.

"Tell me something, Casper- Dumbledore said he received a notice from the Ministry of Magic that you used magic-"

"That wasn't me!" I said, feeling my anger flare back to the surface, but I quickly forced it down, "Dylan picked up my wand from somewhere and lit his toy fire truck on fire."

"I see. I assume your _grandmother_ took care of the problem?" He smirked slightly at the word grandmother and I rolled my eyes.

"I hate that woman," I growled fiercely.

"Why?"

I didn't respond immediately.

"I can't tell you here," I said finally.

"Let's go to my office, then."

**Chapter 54**

We went into Snape's office and I sat down in the chair across from his desk where Potter had sat last year while Snape yelled at him. I felt very relaxed and as soon as Snape walked in and shut the door, I turned around lazily and cast the _'Muffliato' _charm so that we couldn't be overheard.

"So, what did Connie say to make you hate her so much?" Snape asked, sitting down in his chair. I hesitated, not entirely certain if I wanted to tell him or not.

"Come on, now, Casper, don't make me go digging around in your head for it," He said with a sigh. I took a deep breath.

"She said that you were a Death Eater but Dumbledore stood up for you and said that you had turned spy against the Dark Lord at great personal risk," I blurted out quickly.

"Do you believe her?" He asked calmly.

"Well, I think that…I think I know you supported the Dark Lord at one point…I also think there's a very likely possibility that you are good now. …I would believe it if you said it was true," I said quietly. He sighed heavily.

"Alright. I should've known you would've figured it out eventually. Yes, Casper, I was a Death Eater. I have the Dark Mark burned into my arm, just like all the other Death Eaters. But I did turn spy for Dumbledore. I am not exactly everyone's definition of 'good' but I don't go around killing Muggles and Muggle-borns for fun," He said in a slightly bitter voice. _Wow, _I thought to myself without allowing him to hear, _that is brave._

"I believe you," I said softly, "Even if Connie and Mad-Eye don't."

"She told you about Mad-Eye?"

"Just that he thinks you're an evil, slimy, git," I said with a grin, "but a lot of people think that."

He shook his head slightly and smiled slightly. I decided it was time for a change in conversation.

"I've grown since last year," I said delightedly, "can you tell?"

"Of course. I noticed it when you were sitting at the table stuffing your face. You practically tower over your friend, Jennifer," He said with a smirk, "but to me you'll always be short-looking."

"Humph. So what's with this Triwizard Tournament thing?"

"Short-lived entertainment. You heard all the things Dumbledore said about it."

"Yeah, something about putting three kids in mortal peril," I said, stifling a yawn

"I think the idea was _not _to put them in mortal peril," He said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, whatever. I'll see come October," I said with a shrug of my shoulders. A sudden twinge of pain made my massage my side. The sudden movement wasn't lost on Snape.

"What's wrong with your side?" He asked me.

"Nothing," I said quickly, but he was staring at me with his glittering black eyes and I felt compelled to tell him the truth. I told him about what had happened with Anthony, Dylan, Connie, and myself.

"Connie knocked me to the side when she was running down the stairs to put the fire out and I hit the banister pretty hard. It's been hurting on and off since then," I admitted quietly, avoiding his gaze. He was still staring at me with an unreadable expression.

"Would you like to go and see Madam Pomfrey? I could go with you since you…detest doctors," He offered quietly.

"No. Forget about it. It'll be fine," I insisted, "I shouldn't have even told you."

"Alright, I won't say anything else," He replied.

"I kind of need to go to sleep now."

"Sure. And Casper?"

I paused with the door halfway open.

"Yes?" I asked him.

"The next time you get the urge to hug me, do try to restrain yourself. That's how rumors get started," He said with a smirk.

"If I had something to throw at you, I would," I retorted and left before anything else could be said.

The next morning the storm had blown itself out and the sky was a dull grey color. When our course schedules were handed out I was delighted to find that I had Defense Against the Dark Arts first thing. There was a low chatter as the fourth-years discussed whether or not they thought Moody's class would be any good. Personally, I thought it would be interesting, regardless of his vendetta against my favorite teacher.

I was one of the first people to hurry into the classroom and I took a desk right by the front, hoping it would be interesting enough to keep me awake. The class soon filled with my fellow Slytherins and we took out our copies of _The Dark Forces: A guide to Self-Protection._

"You can put those away right now," said a voice. We all turned excitedly as Moody walked in the door.

"Those books. Put them away. You won't need them," He said as he made his way to the front of the classroom. Everyone exchanged grins as Moody pulled out a piece of parchment and called roll. His normal eye was moving down the list and his Magical eye was staring at each student as they answered.

"Right," he said when everyone had declared themselves present, "Professor Lupin told me you've all had a pretty thorough covering of Dark creatures- boggarts, Red Caps, hanky-panky, grindylow, Kappas, and werewolves. But you're behind- very behind- on dealing with curses. So, I'm here to bring you up to date on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark magic."

No one said anything, but every eye was fixed on Moody and no one was talking. I was paying rapt attention to everything he said.

"So- straight into it. Curses come in many shapes and forms. The Ministry of Magic claims I'm supposed to teach you counter curses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. However, Professor Dumbledore has a higher opinion of your nerves. He reckons you can cope, and I say the sooner you know what you're up against the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to be nice and polite to your face. You need be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful."

_This guy's kinda paranoid, _I thought, guarding my thoughts carefully in case he was a Legilimens.

"So…do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?" Moody asked the class. Either no one else knew the answer or they were too frightened to answer. Not me. I wasn't afraid of anything. After a long silence I sighed and raised my hand. Both Moody's eyes fixated on me.

"Miss Addams?"

"The Imperius curse is one of the three," I said quietly.

"Ah yes."

Moody bent down and took something out of his desk drawer. He set it on his desk and we could all see it was a jar containing three spiders. A few people recoiled slightly. Moody took one out, showed it to us, pointed his wand at it, and said _Imperio._

The spider leapt, on a fine silk thread, from Moody's hand to the desk. It began to turn cartwheels and do other things spiders normally wouldn't do. A few people laughed. I didn't. I didn't think it was funny at all.

"Think it's funny?" Moody growled, "would you still think it's funny if I did it to you?"

The laughter died.

"total control," Moody said quietly, "I could make it jump out a window, drown itself, crawl down one of your throats…anything. Years back a lot of witches and wizards were being controlled by the Imperius curse. Some job the Ministry had, trying to sort out who was being controlled and who was acting of their own free will. The Imperius Curse can be fought and I'll be teaching you how. It takes real strength…not necessarily physical strength," He said, noticing Crabbe and Goyle flexing their muscles and nodding, "But strength of character. Not everyone has strength of character. It's best to avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Everyone jumped slightly except me. His eye had stopped on me when he said not everyone had strength of character. _I'll show him strength of character, _I muttered in my head.

"Does anyone else know another illegal curse?" Moody asked. Again no answer so I raised my hand.

"The Cruciatus Curse," I said in a slightly bored voice, "Also known as the torture curse."

"Mm. I'll have to make him a bit bigger for you to get the idea," Moody said, reaching for another spider, but his eye was still on me. He pointed his wand at the spider and said _"Engorgio!"_

The spider swelled to the size of a large tarantula. He put the spider on the desk, pointed at it with his wand, and muttered "_Crucio!_"

The spider's legs bent in upon its body. It rolled over and began to twitch, rocking from side to side. A few people looked disgusted and a few others, including Draco, looked intrigued. I merely watched, appearing mildly interested.

"When used on a person for an extended amount of time it can cause the person's mind to turn to mush. I've seen it happen. You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse," Moody said quietly. He shrank the spider and returned it to the jar. It was still twitching.

"Do you know the last one?" Moody asked, looking at me.

"The Killing Curse. _Avada Kedavra_," I said calmly. A few of the class looked anxiously at me. I barely taped a few of their minds to hear their thoughts. _How does she know all these curses? _Thought Pansy Parkinson jealously. _She's so cool. I'll bet she's used these curses herself before, _Draco thought. _I wonder what's for lunch? _Thought Crabbe and Goyle simultaneously.

I turned my attention back to Moody who now had the last spider between in one hand and pointing his wand at it.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Moody roared. There was a flash of green light and the spider flew out of Moody's hand and skidded towards me on the desk. I didn't even flinch as it bounced off my arm and lay two inches away, unmistakably dead.

"Not nice. Not pleasant. And there is no counter curse. There is no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it and that person is Harry Potter," Moody said calmly, "No one knows how he did it. _Avada Kedavra _is a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it. You could all get your wands out right now, point them at me and say the incantation, and I doubt anything would happen. I might get a nosebleed."

_I highly doubt nothing would happen if I took out my wand, put all my magic behind it, and tried to kill this paranoid teacher, _I thought to myself smugly.

"But that doesn't matter," Moody continued, "I'm not here to teach you how to do it. Now, if there is no counter curse then why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Most of the class jumped again. Not me. I was anticipating it this time.

"Now…those three curses- _Avada Kedavra, _Imperius, and Cruciatus- are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a lifelong sentence in Azkaban. That is what you are up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. Most of all you need to practice _constant, never-ceasing vigilance. _Get out your quills and copy this down…"

We spent the rest of the lesson copying notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. I noticed that Moody's magical eye stayed fixed on me for most of the class period, but I felt safe because I kept my mental barrier up. That was my own version of constant vigilance. I was anticipating a mental attack…and one finally came, but not from Moody.

"_Why're you blocking me?" _asked a familiar voice inside my head, struggling. It was Snape. I relaxed my barrier, but only slightly. _What are you doing in my mind? I thought Legilimency required eye-contact? _I demanded.

"_I said it's best to have eye-contact, not that it was necessary. I just wanted to ask if you'd come to my room during lunch."_

_Why?_

"_So I can hear all about Moody's class, of course."_

_Okay, _I retorted, _now get out of my head. You're distracting me. _

He withdrew and I massaged the sides of my head where the beginnings of a headache could be felt.

**Chapter 55**

I had Care of Magical Creatures with the Gryffindors after Moody's class, but it was a boring lesson compared to the previous one. Hagrid announced that we'd be raising Blast-Ended Skrewts, which tended to explode at times and I didn't leave the class without a painful burn on the back of my hand.

While the rest of the Slytherins went to lunch I made my way down to Snape's classroom. He was waiting for me patiently.

"What happened to your hand?" He asked when I shut the door behind me.

"Horrid little things called Blast-Ended Skrewts," I muttered darkly, "In Care of Magical Creatures."

"Come here," he said, beckoning to me. I walked over and extended my hand for him to see. He studied it carefully for a moment and then took out his wand.

"_Episkey,_" He said, tapping my hand gently. My hand went very hot and then very cold and when I looked down it was completely healed.

"That's a nifty bit of magic," I said, impressed. He waved his hand dismissively.

"Tell me about Moody's class," He commanded. I told him all about the curses and the spiders and the way Moody's eye kept staring at me, all the way up to-

"-And then you showed up in my head and I lost my concentration," I said, smirking slightly. He didn't seem to be paying attention.

"I think you shouldn't have answered all of his questions. He was probably wondering where you learned the Unforgivable Curses. Speaking of which- …where _did _you learn the three Unforgivable curses?" He asked me.

"In a book, where I learn almost everything," I said with a shrug.

"A school book?"

"No, a book I got for Christmas one time. _Curses and Counter-curses _by Vindictus Viridian."

"Who would send you such a book?"

"No idea."

He was smirking and I was trying my best to hide my own smile. He knew who sent it to me and I knew who sent it to me, but I doubted he knew that I knew.

Later that evening as I was heading into the Great Hall for dinner I overheard an argument between Draco, Potter, and Weasley. I didn't really want to get involved, but I stopped to listen anyway.

"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter!" Draco said, his cheeks flushed pink.

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," retorted Potter and turned away. There was a loud BANG as Draco shot a curse at Potter, who ducked out of the way. Before Potter could even reach his wand there was a second bang. Mad-Eye Moody was coming down the stairs and he had his wand out.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" He said loudly. We all turned back to Draco, only it wasn't Draco. Where Draco had been standing sat a pure white ferret, shivering on the cold floor. Everyone who was in the entrance hall fell silent and watched.

"Did he get you?" Moody asked Potter.

"No. Missed," he replied. Crabbe leaned over, about to pick up the Draco-ferret.

"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted at him. Moody started to limp towards Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret. The ferret streaked off towards the dungeons.

"I don't think so!" Moody roared, pointing his wand. The ferret flew ten feet in the air and came back down, bouncing once on the stone floor.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher, squealing in pain, "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do…"

The ferret flew through the air, flailing helplessly. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or not. Crabbe and Goyle looked sort of frightened.

"Can't you get him down?" Goyle asked me. I started.

"Me? …well I _could _but _I'm _not getting turned into a ferret. He already doesn't like me very much," I muttered, pointing at Moody.

"Never- do- that- again-" Moody said, speaking each word as the ferret hit the floor.

"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice. It was McGonagall, coming down the staircase with her arms full of books.

"Hello Professor McGonagall," Moody said calmly, bouncing the ferret higher.

"What- what are you doing?" she asked, her eyes following the ferret.

"Teaching," replied Moody.

"Teach- Moody, _is that a student?_" she cried, dropping the books she was carrying.

"Yep."

"No!" McGonagall cried, pulling out her wand. A moment later Draco lay on the floor, his blonde hair tousled and his face flushed.

"Moody, we _never _use transfiguration as a punishment," said Professor McGonagall weakly, "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah, but I thought a good sharp shock-"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the student's head of House."

"I'll do that then," said Moody, staring at Draco with dislike.

"Wait'll my father hears about this," Draco grumbled.

"Oh yeah? Well, I know your father of old, boy…You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son…you tell him that from me…Now, your Head of House will be Snape, will it?" Moody growled.

"Yes," said Draco hatefully.

"Another old friend," growled Moody, "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape…Come on, you…"

He grabbed Draco's arm and marched him off to the dungeons. I was sorely tempted to follow them, but I noticed Crabbe and Goyle looking expectantly at me. I turned and went into the Great Hall.

"Snape'll be pissed," I muttered to myself.

"Why?" asked Crabbe, following me into the hall. Goyle was right behind him.

"He and Moody have a history. Why're you following me? I'm not Draco," I replied, sitting down. They both looked at me dully and didn't respond. I knew they weren't very smart and often had the expression of ones whose brains are stuck in neutral. They sat down across from me and started eating. Jen came to sit beside me. She also eyed Crabbe and Goyle curiously.

"What're _they _doing here?" She asked me.

"Draco got turned into a ferret by Moody and now he's off to see Snape. I guess they're following me around now," I replied dismissively. I didn't really care whether they were there or not. My side had started to hurt again.

After we were all finished eating I headed towards Snape's office. Crabbe and Goyle followed me, just like I had expected. We passed Moody limping out of the dungeon, his wooden leg clunking eerily. I knocked on Snape's door and his quiet voice said 'enter'. I walked in with Crabbe and Goyle following. Draco was sitting in the chair I usually sat in, looking extremely annoyed.

"What're you doing here, Casper?" Snape asked, mildly surprised.

"I came to give Draco his cronies back," I said. I smiled at Crabbe and Goyle so they'd know I wasn't being cruel and they smiled back foolishly.

"I think they got a little lost. Also, I was hoping to have a word with you," I said quickly to Snape. He nodded to me.

"Draco I think you can go now," Snape said to him.

"Yes Professor. Come on, guys," Draco said, motioning for Crabbe and Goyle to follow him. I shut the door behind them and waited until I heard their footsteps before sinking into the chair Draco had abandoned.

"They're like weird little puppies," I said, referring to Crabbe and Goyle, "They follow who ever pays attention to them."

"Yes, but I'm sure that's not why you're here, Casper?"

I hesitated, thinking he would be snide or sarcastic if I told him about my side, but what choice did I have?

"My side still hurts really bad," I murmured. He didn't even smirk. He looked genuinely concerned.

"How long has it been since that day?" He asked me.

"Over a month," I said with a shrug.

"Over a month? Why on Earth didn't you go to a Muggle doctor?" He inquired, looking at me as if I were a very dim bulb.

"Besides the fact that I'm not on speaking terms with my cousin…we don't really have a lot of money," I muttered the last part.

"I see. Well, you should go see Madam Pomfrey-"

"Can't you just give me some sort of potion like when I had a cold?" I asked, a faint note of begging in my voice.

"Is it very badly bruised?"

"…what would you consider 'badly' bruised?"

He let out an irritated sigh.

"Let me see your side, Casper," he said. I was hesitant and I slid a glance at the door. It wasn't locked. I pointed my wand at the door.

"_Colloportus_," I said quietly and the lock clicked into place.

I showed Snape the bruise that spread from my ribcage to my back. It was a very ugly bruise. He touched the bruise gently and I flinched and pulled away.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked.

"No, it's just…I don't particularly like to be touched. If you must you can, but give me fair warning next time," I said faintly. I knew I was blushing and he purposely ignored it. He poked at my ribcage and I let him know it hurt by hissing loudly when he touched my ribs.

"I think that you may have a few broken ribs," he said quietly, "or at least fractured. You need to see Madam Pomfrey and as a teacher I have to make sure you get there."

"No, I don't want to see a nurse."

"It wasn't an option," he said shortly.

**Chapter 56**

I was still protesting 20 minutes later when Snape halfway drug me into the hospital wing, holding my wrist firmly. It wouldn't have taken 20 minutes to get there if I hadn't been struggling and writhing the entire way there. He held me still while he talked to Madam Pomfrey.

"She hit something very hard about a month ago and she couldn't go to the Muggle Doctor where she lives and she couldn't get to one of our hospitals because she lives with her muggle cousin. I believe she might have broken a few ribs. It's very badly bruised," He explained to Madam Pomfrey in a low voice. The hospital wing was empty since it was the first day of classes but it still managed to smell like illness and death.

"I'll need to see the bruise to determine if she's got internal bleeding. Hop up on the bed, dear," Madam Pomfrey said in a voice that reminded me of Connie.

"_I don't want to be touched,_" I said crossly, still struggling.

"She doesn't like doctors or nurses. Casper, really, you're being childish," Snape said exasperatedly.

"I don't care," I retorted, "I really don't like doctors."

"Casper, get up on the bed or I will pick you up and put you there," he hissed. I could tell he wasn't lying so I climbed up onto the bed, staring at him resentfully. Madam Pomfrey looked at the bruise, clucking her tongue like a chicken, but I wouldn't let her touch me. Every time she tried to I swiped her hand away and inched backwards.

"I know just what she needs," said Madam Pomfrey, heading towards her office. Snape looked satisfied.

"Traitor," I hissed at him.

"It's for your own good, you know? She can fix you up almost instantly and it won't hurt anymore," He assured me.

" '_it won't hurt anymore_'" I mimicked, "Doctors always say that."

He looked as if he were about to ask me something, but Madam Pomfrey came back a moment later carrying a bottle of something.

"Here you go, dear, just drink this and you'll be good as new," She said, beaming.

"Oh wow. A potion. Why couldn't _you _have given me that?" I said resentfully to Snape.

"Shut up, Casper," He said annoyed, "Or I'll leave you here by yourself. I'm tired of hearing you whine."

I glared at him but fell silent. I drank the potion and felt a cooling sensation spreading through me. Curious I looked at the bruise and watched as it faded. There was a slight prickling sensation as I suppose my ribs grew back together. Ten minutes later I really was good as new. I muttered an abashed 'thanks' to Madam Pomfrey before sulking back towards the dungeons. Snape was following me. I tried to figure out if I was still angry with him, but decided I wasn't.

"Sorry," I muttered glumly as we walked down the stairs.

"For what?"

"Being so difficult. I _really _hate doctors."

"I can tell. What happened to make you hate doctors so much?"

I didn't respond at first and, even though he didn't say anything else, I felt compelled to tell him.

"When I was seven years old I broke my arm playing on the swing set. Anthony and Amy had to take me to a real lower-class doctor to have it set. Unfortunately it only hurt worse and no one listened to me when I told them it still hurt. When they took the cast off a few weeks later they discovered they'd set the bones wrong and they had to…re-break them…" My arm hurt just remembering but I kept my emotions stonewalled. Snape didn't say anything, merely looked at me with his unreadable expression.

Nothing else was said between us as we made our way back into the dungeons. Instead of following Snape back to his office I went into the common room. Jen was sitting in one of the chairs, doing her homework but she looked up when I entered.

"_There _you are. You disappeared with Crabbe and Goyle after dinner and the next time I saw them they were with Draco. Where've you been?" She asked curiously.

"Well I took Draco's cronies back to him and I was talking to Snape after they left."

"Awful long talk," she replied, the corners of her mouth twitching. I didn't have to use Legilimency to know what she was thinking.

"He insisted I go to the hospital wing. My side was still hurting from where Connie knocked me into the banister. Turns out I had a broken or fractured rib," I retorted.

"Your side? Why didn't you tell me it hurt? I'm your best friend."

"I didn't _tell _Snape. He noticed it on his own."

"He must've been pretty attentive. I didn't even notice it."

"Yeah. Like Moody says- Constant vigilance," I said with a smirk.

Towards the end of September Mad-Eye Moody told us he would be putting the Imperious Curse on each of us so we'd know what it felt like. He also wanted to see if any of us could resist it.

"But it's illegal, isn't it?" Draco muttered to me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yes, it is illegal, but Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like. If you'd rather learn it the hard way, when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely, then fine by me. You're excused off you go," Moody growled. No one moved, not even Draco.

I watched as one by one Moody put the Imperius Curse on each of my classmates. They all did a number of extraordinary things like doing the bunny hop around the room or jumping on top of their desks and tap dancing.

"Addams, you next," Moody said, motioning me forward. Everyone stared at me curiously and a few people began to mutter to each other things that I couldn't hear.

"_Imperio_," Moody said, pointing his wand at me.

It was interesting sensation, as if every worry had been wiped away. I was dimly aware of everyone watching me, but I didn't care. I felt vaguely happy until…

"_Do a cartwheel,_" growled a voice in my head, and it wasn't Snape. It was Moody. All of my Occlumency training came back to me in a rush and I forced Moody out of my head. All of reality came back to me in a rush as Moody staggered backwards. He hadn't been expecting me to fight back so hard.

"That was a damn good job, Addams. Even Potter couldn't throw it off on his first try. It's almost like you've done this before… Alright, I'm going to do it again and I want all of you to watch her," Moody said to the class. They all stared at me. I put up my mental barrier and Moody had barely uttered the word _Imperio _when I tossed him out of my mind again. My classmates cheered and a few of them were envious. Moody looked at me with an expression bordering between impression and suspicion. His magical eye didn't leave me for the rest of the class period.

**Chapter 57**

A few weeks later as the Gryffindors and Slytherins were coming in from Care of Magical Creatures we all found ourselves unable to get through due to a large crowd of people looking at something on the bulletin board. Draco forced his way to the front and, curious, I followed. A large sign had been put up. Draco read it and then stepped out of the way.

**Triwizard Tournament**

_The delegations from Beauxbatons and _

_Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock_

_on Friday the 30__th__ of October. Lessons will _

_end half an hour early. _

_Students will return their bags and books _

_to their dormitories and assemble in front _

_of the castle to greet our guests before _

_the Welcoming Feast._

Ron Weasley read the sign out loud to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

"Brilliant," said Potter, "it's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"

I laughed quietly. He was referring to the fact that Snape had threatened to poison one of us before Christmas to see if we had been researching antidotes properly.

"The 30th of October?" said a voice from behind me, "that's barely a week away."

It was Jen. She was standing beside me, reading the sign curiously.

"I wonder how they're all getting here?" She continued.

"Dunno. Pity lessons are ending a half hour earlier," I said gloomily, "means I won't get to see Snape poison Potter."

She laughed quietly and we turned to make our way back to the dungeon common room.

"I'm glad lessons will be ending early. I've got Defense Against the Dark Arts last thing Friday and to put it frankly, Moody frightens me," She said bluntly.

"I know what you mean. I get the impression he doesn't like me very much. His stupid eye never seems to leave me when I'm around," I said bitterly.

Over the next week everyone talked about nothing but the Triwizard Tournament. The castle underwent a thorough cleaning. Even the suits of armor were now sparkling clean and rust-free. On the 30th of October everyone went down to breakfast to find that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung on the walls, each representing a different House. Behind the High Table was the largest banner bearing the Hogwart's coat of arms.

The rest of the school day went rather boringly. Everyone was talking about the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Even Malfoy seemed generally excited.

"Did you know my father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang?" Draco whispered to me in Potions class as I was cutting up some roots, "He knows the headmaster quite well. Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line when it comes to the Dark Arts, as well. They actually learn it, not the defense rubbish we do. They don't put up with any riffraff like Mudbloods-"

"-I don't like that term, Draco," I hissed at him, remembering quite suddenly the conversation I'd dreamt between Snape and Lily. She'd been very angry when he called her a Mudblood and it had marked the end of their friendship.

"Sorry," Draco said, waving off my words carelessly, "anyway, my mum didn't want me going to school so far away from home and-"

He was interrupted by the ringing of the bell. I swept into my bag and hurried to drop my things off in the common room. I was on my way out of the castle when I saw Snape coming out of the dungeons. I waited for him.

"How're the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang getting here?" I asked curiously when he'd caught up with me.

"I have no idea," He replied, "They're probably planning a dramatic entrance."

We waited in front of the school for what seemed like an eternity. The sun was setting and it was starting to get cold. I shivered slightly and rubbed my hands together. I was beginning to wish I had my fur-lined gloves with me. I felt something touch my foot, suddenly, and looked down to see Gabriel staring up at me. He set something down at my feet and meowed loudly. I bent down to see what it was and was surprised to find it was my fur-lined gloves.

"How did you know I needed those, you silly cat?" I murmured, stroking his head. He meowed again.

"What is it?" Snape asked, looking down at me.

"My gloves. I was just wishing I had them," I replied, tugging them on.

"Hmm…"

I picked Gabriel up and held him as we waited for them to arrive. Dumbledore, who was standing at the back with the other teachers, suddenly called out-

"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" cried many of my fellow students. I shaded my eyes and looked around, like everyone else.

"Look there," Snape said, tapping my shoulder and pointing towards the forest. Something very large was flying over the trees making its way towards the castle. It was a powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage the size of a house. It was pulled through the sky by 12 winged horses, all palominos, about the size of elephants. Wide-eyed I watched as the carriage landed and out walked the largest woman I had ever seen in my life. I doubted she was an inch taller than Hagrid. About a dozen girls followed her out of the carriage as she made her way over to Dumbledore.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said, kissing her large hand, "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr. I 'ope I find you well?" she said in a deep voice.

"In excellent form, I thank you."

"My pupils," she said, waving a hand behind her at the girls who now stood shivering. Their robes seemed to be made out of light silk and none of them had cloaks. They all stared up at Hogwarts apprehensively.

" 'as Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"Karkaroff…" I muttered, frowning slightly. Snape looked down at me.

"What do you know about Karkaroff?" He asked me, his black eyes glittering. I hesitated and looked around. No one was listening to our conversation.

"He was a Death Eater," I said quietly, "Connie said she was at his trial. He turned traitor against the Dark Lord and…named a lot of Death Eaters."

"Ah…Igor Karkaroff is now head of Durmstrang school. I imagine you'll get a glimpse of him shortly…" Snape replied.

**Chapter 58**

The Beauxbatons students and Madame Maxime made their way up to the castle while we continued to wait for the Durmstrang students. It wasn't long until we heard an odd sucking noise, like a vacuum cleaner sucking up water.

"Look at the lake," said Snape, nodding to it. I stood on my tiptoes to get a better look. The usually smooth surface of the lake had been disturbed by something. What appeared to be a black pole began to rise out of the water.

"It's a mast," I said, eyes wide. A few minutes later and entire ship had appeared and a plank had been lowered onto the bank. I could see bulky silhouetted figures disembarking, but when they moved into the light that was coming from the windows of Hogwarts I could see that they only seemed bulky due to the matted fur cloaks they were wearing. The tall, thin man leading them wore sleek and silver furs and had short white hair and a goatee.

"That's Karkaroff," Snape whispered to me.

"Dumbledore!" said Karkaroff as he marched up the slope, "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied brightly. Karkaroff's voice was hearty and cheerful. _He doesn't sound like a Death Eater, _I thought to myself.

"_What do you think a Death Eater sounds like, Casper?_" said a snide voice in my head.

"Get outta my head," I hissed quietly to Snape. He chuckled quietly.

"Dear old Hogwarts," said Karkaroff, "How good it is to be here, how good…Viktor, come along, into the warmth…you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold…"

Karkaroff beckoned one of his students forward, a boy with a very prominent nose and thick eyebrows. Jen ran towards me through the crowd, nearly barreling into me.

"Casper! Casper, that's Viktor Krum," She said, grabbing my arm and pointing to the boy.

"Who?" I asked, snatching my arm back.

"Viktor Krum, the famous Quidditch player. He's the best Seeker in the world," She said, eyes wide.

"Jen, you know I don't give a rat's ass about Quidditch," I said with a sigh.

"But he's so _handsome_," she said with a smitten sigh. I rolled my eyes at her and turned back to Snape who was smirking.

We walked back towards the castle with the rest of the school, following the Durmstrang students.

"Do you think I could get his autograph, Casper?" Jen asked as we walked in. Snape was still smirking as he went to join the rest of the teachers at the High Table. Jen and I made our way over to the Slytherin table, though she was craning her neck to see Viktor Krum. He and the other Durmstrang students were looking around, unsure of where to sit. The girls from Beauxbatons had chosen to sit at the Ravenclaw table. When the Durmstrang students chose to sit at our table Jen squealed delightedly. Draco leaned forward and began to engage Krum in a conversation about Quidditch.

Dumbledore took his usual seat at the High Table and addressed the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, hosts, and- most particularly- guests. I have a great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable," said Dumbledore, beaming at the foreign students.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," Dumbledore continued, "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home."

As soon as Dumbledore sat down I saw Karkaroff engage him in conversation as the plates before us filled with food. There was a greater variety of food than there normally was, many of which were foreign.

I was mostly quiet, not bothering to listen to the conversations that had erupted, most of which were about Quidditch and Krum. Jen sidled up next to Krum for a moment and returned to her seat beside me a moment later, clutching a piece of paper bearing his autograph. She looked absolutely thrilled. Two men whom I didn't know had arrived and made their way up to the extra chairs Filch had put out at the High Table.

When the golden plates had been wiped clean Dumbledore stood up to address the students again. Everyone leaned forward to hear and a pleasant sort of quiet had filled the room.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling, "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a round of applause, especially when Ludo Bagman's name was announced. Jen leaned over and whispered to me.

"He was a famous Quidditch Player back in the day. He was a Beater. You can see where a Bludger broke his nose," She murmured to me.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the past few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champion's efforts. The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

The caretaker now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest that was encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old and a murmur of excited interest arose from the watching students.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways…their magical prowess-their daring- their powers of deduction- and, of course, their ability to cope with danger," Dumbledore continued. There was a great hush at these final words.

"As you know," Dumbledore went on, "three champions compete in the tournament- one from each school. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now tapped his wand on the top of the casket and the lid creaked open. He reached in and pulled out a wooden cup, full to the brim with blue-white flames. Dumbledore closed the casket and set the goblet carefully on top of it.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have 24 hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it had been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of 17 will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

**Chapter 59**

The next day was Saturday and I was able to sleep late, completely skipping breakfast. About an hour before lunchtime Jennifer woke me up.

"C'mon, let's go have lunch," she said as I yawned loudly.

"Alright, then," I said, getting up.

"Two Slytherins have already put their names in- Warrington and Flint. All the Hufflepuffs are talking about that handsome Seeker of theirs, Diggory," she said

"I thought you fancied Krum," I said as we left the common room.

"Well yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't still think Diggory is handsome," She retorted.

"Get over it. They're both too old for you," I replied, "Four years too old."

"Humph."

The Great Hall had been redecorated since the previous night. Since it was Halloween, a great cloud of fluttering live bats was swarming around the ceiling along with all the usual pumpkins.

"What should we do now?" I asked Jen once we were finished with lunch.

"Let's go down to the lake and see if we can get a glimpse of Krum," she said excitedly.

I followed her a bit reluctantly. We reached the lake and saw that Krum was out there swimming.

"Ooh, he's so brave! Isn't there a giant squid down there?" Jen squealed, watching him swim. She wasn't the only one. A gaggle of girls ranging from third year to seventh year were all standing around the shore, watching him.

"Oh, honestly," I muttered quietly, "hasn't anyone got anything better to do than swoon over Krum?"

When we returned to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast it was nearly full. All the Durmstrang students, in their robes of blood red, sat at the Slytherin table with our fellow students. The Goblet of Fire had been moved and now sat in front of Dumbledore's empty chair. The feast seemed to take longer than usual, perhaps because everyone was fidgeting, waiting for Dumbledore to finish eating. Everyone wanted desperately to know who the champions were.

At long last the plates cleared and everyone turned to Dumbledore as he stood up. Almost everyone seemed tense and anxious.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber where they will be receiving their first instructions," said Dumbledore. He took out his wand and waved it, extinguishing all of the candles except those within the carved pumpkins. The Goblet of Fire seemed to shine more brightly that anything else.

A minute later the flames within the Goblet of Fire turned red. Sparks began to fly from it. Everyone leaned forward to watch and there was a collective gasp as a tongue of flame shot into the air and a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it. Dumbledore grabbed the parchment.

"the champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum," he read in a strong, clear voice. There was a blast of applause and cheering as Krum left our table and walked through the door Dumbledore indicated.

"No surprise there," I muttered to Jen, "The Goblet's probably a Quidditch fan."

"Shh," she hissed and pointed. The flames within in the Goblet had turned red once more. Seconds later another piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"the champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour," Dumbledore announced. A girl with silvery-blonde hair stood up from the Ravenclaw table and made her way to the door. Many of the other girls from Beauxbatons had burst into disappointed tears.

"The Hogwarts champion is next," Jen said excitedly.

At last the goblet turned red again and a final piece of parchment fluttered down into Dumbledore's waiting hand.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory."

The cheer was so loud that I had to cover my sensitive ears. The boy who was Diggory stood up, grinning broadly, and made his way to the chamber behind the High Table. It was some time before the applause died down enough for Dumbledore to make himself heard.

"Excellent!" he said happily, "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute to a very real-"

Dumbledore stopped speaking and every eye in the room turned to look once more at the Goblet of Fire. The flames had turned red again and another piece of parchment flew out. Dumbledore automatically grabbed it. He stared at it for a long moment before clearing his throat and reading out-

"_Harry Potter."_

Everyone in the hall looked astonished. Everyone was staring at Potter. There was a silence, and then everyone began to murmur.

"He's not of age!" Jen protested quietly, "How did he do it?"

"No idea," I said with a shrug, "He had to have cheated some how."

Potter got to his feet as Dumbledore called his name again and, with an extremely blank expression, made his way up to the staff table. He went through the chamber.

Dumbledore addressed the students in a grave voice and said that we should all head up to bed. While every eye was still on Dumbledore I grabbed my wand and quickly applied my Disillusionment Charm. Jen looked over with a start to see I had disappeared.

"Are you going to figure out what's going on?" She muttered quietly.

"Yeah. Wait for me in the common room," I whispered in her ear as I stood up. I hurried up to the High Table without getting trampled. Dumbledore was heading into the chamber the champions had disappeared into and he was followed by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and lastly Snape, who was kind enough to hold the door open for my invisible self.

The three champions and Potter were standing in the middle of the room along with Ludo Bagman. All of them looked bewildered. Fleur Delacour was outraged.

"Madame Maxime," said Fleur at once striding over to her headmistress, "Zey are saying zat zis little boy is to compete also!"

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" Madame Maxime asked imperiously.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff with a steely smile, "_Two _Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions- or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"

He gave a short, nasty laugh that reminded me somewhat of Snape.

"_C'est impossible,_" said Madame Maxime, " 'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly, "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He h as been crossing lines ever since he arrived here-"

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said firmly. Snape fell silent those his eyes still glinted malevolently. Dumbledore now turned to Harry.

"Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.

"No," said Harry quickly. Snape made a noise of disbelief, but I could tell, in that mysterious way that I always could tell, that Potter was telling the truth. Either that or he was an exceptionally good liar who could fool even me, and I didn't know of anyone who had ever tricked me with a lie.

"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Dumbledore, ignoring Snape.

"_No_," said Potter vigorously.

"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxime.

_He's not lying, _I thought, hoping that Snape was listening. He shook his head and his lip curled.

"He could not have crossed the Age Line," said McGonagall sharply, "I am sure we all agreed on that-"

"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime with a shrug.

"It is possible, of course," said Dumbledore politely.

"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said McGonagall angrily, "Really, what nonsense! Harry could not have crossed the line himself, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that he did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!"

She shot a very angry look at Snape and I had a sudden urge to kick her, which I resisted. Undoubtedly, kicking her would reveal my hidden existence.

**Chapter 60**

"We must follow the rules of, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament," said Mr. Crouch from the shadows.

"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming as though the matter were now closed.

"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students. You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It's only fair Dumbledore," said Karkaroff.

"But Karkaroff, it doesn't work like that," said Bagman, "The Goblet of Fire's just gone out- it won't re-ignite until the start of the next tournament-"

"-in which Durmstrang will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Karkaroff, "After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!" exploded Karkaroff.

"Empty threat, Karkaroff. You can't leave your Champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding Magical contract, like Dumbledore said. Convenient, eh?" Growled a voice from the door. It was Mad-Eye Moody. His magical eye lingered on me and I fled to Snape's side, grabbing his hand.

_Moody can see me! _I thought loudly.

"_Don't worry. He's ignoring you, see?_" He replied in my head. He was right. Moody was talking to Karkaroff, who didn't seem to like him very much.

_Why the hostility between Moody and Karkaroff? _I asked Snape whose presence I still felt in my mind.

"_Moody is an Auror. A Dark-wizard catcher. He's the one who caught Karkaroff and had him put in Azkaban,_" He replied. We were both suddenly rapt with attention as Madame Maxime and Karkaroff both began to complain loudly.

"If anyone's got a reason to complain, it's Potter," growled Moody, "but…funny thing…I don't hear _him _saying a word…"

"Why should 'e complain?" said Fleur, stamping her foot, " 'E 'as ze chance to compete, 'asn't 'e? We 'ave all been 'oping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! Ze honor for our schools! A thousand Galleons in prize money- zis is a chance many would die for!"

"Maybe someone's hoping Potter _is _going to die for it," Moody said quietly.

An extremely tense silence followed these words. Everyone looked at Moody.

"Moody, old man…what a thing to say!" said Bagman nervously.

"We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six plots to murder him before lunchtime," said Karkaroff loudly, "Apparently he is now teaching his students to fear assassination, too. An odd quality in a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore, but no doubt you had your reasons."

"Imagining things, am I?" Moody growled, "Seeing things, eh? It was a skilled witch or wizard who put the boy's name in that goblet…"

"Ah, what evidence is zere of zat?" Madame Maxime asked, throwing up her hands.

"Because they hoodwinked a very powerful magical object!" said Moody, "It would have needed an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle that goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the tournament…I'm guessing they submitted Potter's name under a fourth school, to make sure he was the only one in his category…"

"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Moody," said Karkaroff coldly, "and a very ingenious theory it is- though of course, I heard you recently got it into your head that one of your birthday presents contained a cunningly disguised basilisk egg, and smashed it to pieces before realizing it was a carriage clock. So you'll understand if we don't take you entirely seriously…"

"There are those who'll turn innocent occasions to their advantage," Moody retorted in a menacing voice, "It's my job to think the way Dark wizards do, Karkaroff- as you ought to remember…"

"Alastor!" Dumbledore said warningly. Karkaroff's face was burning and Moody looked satisfied.

"How this situation arose we do not know," said Dumbledore to everyone, "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Cedric and Harry have been chosen to compete in the tournament. This, therefore, they will do…"

"Ah, but Dumbly-dorr-"

"My dear Madame Maxime if you have an alternative I would be delighted to hear it."

No one looked very happy. Snape was furious.

"Well, shall we crack on, then?" Bagman said excitedly, "Got to give our champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, want to do the honors?"

"Yes," said Crouch, "instructions. Yes…the first task…"

He moved forward into the firelight and I got the sudden impression that he looked ill. Moody's magical eye was watching me and I couldn't concentrate at all on what Crouch was telling the champions. I became dimly aware of the fact that I was still holding Snape's hand from when I had grabbed it earlier. I let go quickly. He still smirked at me.

Everyone left the room eventually and only Snape, myself, and Mad-Eye Moody were left. The air was tense for a moment then Moody spoke.

"What's with the girl?" He asked, one eye on Snape and his magical eye on me.

"It's difficult to explain," replied Snape, avoiding Moody's eyes.

"I'm not deaf, you know," I said annoyed. Both Moody's eyes were on me now.

"That's a hell of a Disillusionment Charm, Addams," he said to me.

"Thanks," I said quietly, "You won't tell anyone I was here, will you?"

He looked considerate for a moment.

"No, I don't suppose I will," he replied, "Being able to do that good of magic at that young an age…A lot of full-grown wizards can't do a good Disillusionment Charm."

"A lot of full grown wizards can't produce a Patronus, either," I said proudly.

"You can produce a Patronus?" Moody asked, interested.

"Since I was twelve," I said with a nod.

"…that's very interesting. Don't worry, kid, I won't tell anyone you were lurking around here," He said finally.

"Thank you," I said softly.

As soon as Moody was gone Snape and I went back to his office. I sat down weakly, feeling luck had been on my side tonight.

"Be glad that Moody likes you," Snape said, taking a seat in his chair.

"I always got the impression he hated me," I replied.

"Yes, he does give that impression to a lot of people. What did you mean when you said Potter wasn't lying?"

"You know I have an uncanny knack for telling when people are lying? Well, Potter was telling the truth when he said he didn't enter his name or ask an older student to do it."

"Then I suppose Moody must be correct in guessing someone wants Potter dead."

"Yeah, there goes all your hard work down the drain. Still, I got the feeling Moody knows more than he let on," I replied.

"Best not to press the matter, since he didn't tell on you."

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too."

"Just let events unfold however they're supposed to."

I returned to the Slytherin common room a short while later and found Jen snoozing in one of the chairs. I prodded her awake.

"Jeez, what took you so long?" She asked, yawning. I quickly told her everything I had overheard in the room.

"So they're going to let Potter compete?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep. They kept saying he _had _to because of some binding magical contract."

"Well, what happens if Potter doesn't compete? He dies?"

"Probably. That'd be the sort of gruesome thing they'd come up with."

**Chapter 61**

Monday afternoon we had Care of Magical Creatures with the Gryffindors and that included Harry Potter. Draco was practically dying to make fun of him.

"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," Draco said to Crabbe and Goyle as soon as they were within earshot of Potter, "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer…Half the Triwizard champions have died…how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."

Crabbe and Goyle laughed but Draco could say no more because at that moment Hagrid walked out carrying a tower of large crates, each of which contained a large Blast-Ended Skrewt. Hagrid went on to explain that the Skrewts had been killing each other due to a bunch of pent-up energy ad that the solution would be to take them for a walk.

"Take this thing for a walk? And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?" Draco asked disgustedly. He wasn't the only one who had spotted this predicament.

"Roun' the middle," explained Hagrid, "Er- yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Harry- you come here an' help me with this big one…"

A few minutes later we all had lengths of rope tied around our Skrewts and were trying to take them for walks. Every now and then, with an alarming bang, one of the ends would explode and the Skrewt would be shot forward along with the person walking it. I spent most of the class period healing the minor burns and cuts of my classmates with the _Episkey _spell Snape had used before.

Draco spent the rest of the week working on something and he would occasionally ask me how to do a certain spell, like the color-changing spell. No one knew what he was working on until Friday morning he met us all in the common room with a box of badges. In red letters the said "Support Cedric Diggory- the REAL Hogwart's Champion" and when you pressed it the words turned green and read "Potter stinks".

He had the approval of most of Slytherin House.

"That's a good bit of magic, Draco," said Jen, accepting a badge as he began to hand them out. I didn't take one.

I was perhaps the only Slytherin not wearing a badge when it was time for double Potions that afternoon. We were all lined up outside Snape's classroom after lunch and when Potter showed up Draco began his usual gloating.

"Oh _very _funny," said Hermione sarcastically, "really _witty._"

"Want one Granger?" Draco asked, offering her a badge, "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

Before I could say anything to Draco about using that word Potter had drawn his wand.

"Go on, then, Potter," said Draco, drawing his own wand, "Moody's not here to look after you now- do it, if you've got the guts-"

"_Furnunculus!_" Potter yelled at the same time Draco screamed "_Densaugeo!_"

Two jets of light hit each other in mid-air, ricocheted, and one hit Goyle and one his Hermione. Goyle bellowed and clutched his nose where boils were now springing up. Hermione whimpered and clutched her mouth as her teeth began to grow.

"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice. Snape had arrived.

"Potter attacked me, sir-" Began Draco.

"we attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.

"-and he hit Goyle- look-"

Snape looked at Goyle whose face now resembled a forest floor.

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said, "_Look!" _

He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth that had now grown down past her collar. She largely resembled a beaver.

"I see no difference," said Snape coldly. Hermione whimpered, her eyes filled with tears, and ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight. Both Potter and Weasley started to shout at Snape at the same time, their voices echoing off the stone walls and making impossible to hear exactly what they were calling him. He heard bits of it, however, and that was enough.

"Let's see," he said in a silky voice, "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a weeks worth of detention."

As we all walked into the dungeon classroom I couldn't help but listen in on Potter's thoughts which were just as unpleasant as the rage showing on his face. I shuddered slightly and kept my attention focused on Snape who had entered the classroom and was sitting at his desk.

"Antidotes!" he said looking around at us all, "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one…"

His eyes met Potter's and everyone knew what was coming next. He was going to poison Potter. How delightful. The silence was interrupted by a knock on the dungeon door. The door opened and in walked a very small third year. He walked up to Snape's desk.

"Yes?" said Snape curtly to the boy.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter upstairs," said the boy, beaming at Potter. Snape stared down at the boy whose smile quickly faded.

"Potter has another hour of Potions to complete," said Snape coldly, "He will come upstairs when this class is finished."

The boy turned pink.

"Sir- sir, Mr. Bagman wants him," he said anxiously, "All the champions have got to go, I think they want to take photographs…"

I suppressed a snort of laughter at the look of hatred on Snape's face.

"Very well, very well," Snape said annoyed, "Potter, leave your things here, I want you back down here later to test your antidote."

"Please, sir- he's got to take his things with him," squeaked the boy, "All the champions-"

"Very _well_!" snarled Snape, "Potter- take your bag and get out of my sight!"

Potter and the third-year boy practically fled the dungeon.

_Too bad, _I thought, _now he won't get to poison Potter._

"_How about if I poison you instead?_" he said in my mind. I looked up and he smirked at me to show he was only joking. I had to conceal a shudder nonetheless.

**Chapter 62**

The Saturday before the first Triwizard Tournament task we had our first Hogsmeade weekend. It was more enjoyable than it had been last year, not only because the Dementors were gone, but because it was Jen's first ever trip to Hogsmeade. She was practically bubbling with excitement and insisted that we go to all the shops. We spent an extremely large portion of the day in the sweetshop, Honeydukes. We spent a large portion of our money there, too.

We went to the Three Broomsticks for some Butterbeer and we talked mostly about the deadly and dangerous task the four champions would have to face.

"Do you know what the task is?" She asked me as we sipped our Butterbeer.

"No, how would I know?" I inquired, surprised.

"Well you do like to sneak around-"

"Not recently," I retorted dignifiedly, "Not since Moody came here."

"I bet if you asked Snape he'd tell you."

"Why would he tell me?"

"Because you two are '_friends'_," She said with an emphasis that suggested she thought we were more than that. I spluttered indignantly and accidentally sprayed Butterbeer down my throat.

"Is that really what you think?" I asked, appalled.

"Well…" she said slowly.

"Jen, I'm only fourteen. I don't really have any interest in dating or anything like that and Snape definitely doesn't think of me that way!" I said, struggling to keep my voice lowered so that no one could overhear, "He's just an interesting conversational companion."

"If you say so," she replied with a shrug.

"I do say so. And you should keep quiet about your suspicions. That's how rumors get started," I retorted quietly.

After lunch on Tuesday I followed Jen, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle out to where the first task would take place. We took a seat in the stands. I wasn't feeling particularly friendly towards Jen so I took a seat beside Goyle and proceeded to watch. Cedric Diggory walked out from where the champions were and found himself face to face with a blue-ish silver dragon. Personally I thought the dragon was rather pretty. Cedric's face was pale as he waved his wand and transfigured a rock into a dog.

"Brilliant," said Draco from the other side of Goyle, "the dragon's going for the dog instead of him."

Everyone cheered as Cedric made his way to the golden egg he was supposed to be collecting. The dragon turned her head as Cedric grabbed the egg and shot a jet of flame at him. Egg in hand he ran off the field amidst the cheers and worried gasps from the crowd. Six wizards came and led the dragon off the field and led another one out. This dragon was green and not as pretty as the first. Fleur Delacour came out next. She spent a while trying to avoid it's flame long enough to put some sort of charm on it. It seemed to work. The dragon closed her eyes and began to sway. Suddenly, as Fleur was grabbing the golden egg, it let out a snore and a jet of flame shot out of its nose and caught her skirt on fire. She put out the flames with some water from her wand and hurried off the field with her egg. Everyone cheered.

Krum was next and as soon as he walked out there was a cheer from almost everyone. Everyone watched as he aimed his wand at the red dragon's eyes and used a Conjunctivitus Curse. The dragon let out a pained roar and stumbled around, squashing half of the real eggs in the nest. Krum was still able to grab the golden egg and escape in time, but they took points off for the real eggs tat were damaged.

Potter was last and almost everyone was jeering at him. He used his wand to summon his broomstick from the castle and then he flew around, making the dragon chase him, until he managed to grab the egg. He looked surprisingly calm for someone being chased by a giant, fire-breathing dragon. The cheers from the audience was deafening and even I couldn't help but clap quietly. That had been some impressive flying. Potter and Krum tied for first place.

Most of the school was up all night celebrating and after that day some of them seemed a little less harsh towards Potter. Not the Slytherins, of course, especially Draco. I was as indifferent as ever.

December seemed to creep onto the castle after the first task, bringing with it wind, sleet, and rain. It was damn near freezing inside the castle and out and I had taken to wearing my warm, fur-lined gloves almost all the time. It seemed everything was back to almost normal as Christmas break approached, then they told us. There was going to be a ball for students in fourth year and up. It was a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament.

"So that's why I had to buy dress robes," I said to Jen once they had told us about the Yule Ball.

"Well at least you get to go. The only way I can go is if an older guy invites me and no one wants to invite _me_," she replied.

"What you think I _want _to go and make a fool of myself," I said, "I hate parties."

I was seriously considering not going when guys started asking me out. I was sitting in the common room one evening, working on an essay about bezoars, when Draco walked up to me. The common room was completely empty except for us…even Crabbe and Goyle weren't with him.

"Hello Casper. Would you like to go to the ball with me?" He asked, sounding as if I should consider myself lucky. I gaped at him for a moment and then shook my head.

"Uh, no. I'm not even sure if I'm going to go. What about Pansy Parkinson? I thought you were going with her," I said quickly. He shrugged and then walked away looking slightly put-off. I thought it was just Draco, but the very next day three guys from Slytherin whom I barely knew asked me to the ball as well as two guys from Ravenclaw I'd never spoken to. I turned them all down.

"Why are they all asking me?" I hissed as Jen sat down beside me at lunch. I had just turned away a 5th year boy from Hufflepuff who looked as though he was going to puke from being so anxious.

"It's because you're pretty and you've got boobs," She replied gloomily, looking down at herself.

"What? Since when am _I _pretty?" I asked blankly.

"Oh come on, Casper! Guys can't keep their eyes off of you. Surely you've noticed that?"

"No!" I said, horrified. I thought maybe she was exaggerating, but I kept an eye out for the rest of the day and sure enough guys were looking at me. I made the mistake of tapping in to their minds to see what they were thinking about. That was a _big _mistake. It was pretty obscene.

Coming out of Potions class on Friday afternoon Cedric Diggory caught me by surprise. He was standing outside waiting for me, the gaggle of his fan girls following at a distance.

"Hi there. You're Casper, right?" He said with a slight nervous smile.

"Er, yeah, why?" I asked, wondering why on Earth he was talking to me.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the ball with me."

There was an eerie silence as I gaped at him and he waited for my answer. All his little fan girls looked jealous.

"No. Sorry. I don't really know you," I said awkwardly, "I don't think I'm going with _anybody_."

"Oh. Alright then," he said and walked off. I stood there, feeling completely stunned, as the corridor cleared. My brain felt stuck in neutral for a moment then I felt a slow, rising annoyance.

"If one more guys asks me to this stupid dance-" I muttered to myself, but was cut off by the sound of the door opening behind me. I whirled around to find myself facing Snape, who was smirking. Undoubtedly he'd heard the conversation.

"Why'd you turn down Diggory? Most of the girls your age would die to go to the ball with him," he said, still smirking.

"I don't want to go to this stupid ball and I don't want to dance, especially with someone who's three feet taller than me," I grumbled, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall huffily.

"How many people have asked you?" He inquired, mildly surprised.

"Seems like half the school. Boys from Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff…it's a nightmare, honestly. They bombard me wherever I go. I made the mistake of looking in one of their minds. Not pleasant," I said with a shudder.

"Yeah, I'd stay out of the minds of teenage boys if I were you. Still, you should go to the ball with someone. It's just plain embarrassing for a girl to show up without a date," He replied carelessly.

**Chapter 63**

The last lesson before term ended was Potions and Snape insisted on testing us on poison antidotes. I didn't mind. I felt pretty sure I had aced the test and was sitting quietly, waiting for everyone else to finish, when a note landed on my desk. I opened it secretively. It was from a Gryffindor boy I'd only spoken to once or twice when he asked for my help on a potion. I read the note quickly:

_Do you want to go to the ball with me?_

Snape walked over and took the note from me, read it, and smirked at me.

"There will be no passing notes in my classroom. 5 points from Gryffindor," Snape said lazily. He just wanted an excuse to take points from Gryffindor. As soon as Snape went to sit back down I turned to the Gryffindor boy and furiously shook my head no. When the bell rang he walked over to my desk.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble," he said as I put my books into my bag, "Are you sure you don't want to go with me?"

"I'm positive. I'm not going with anyone. Bug off," I said angrily. He blushed and left the room. Snape's mouth twitched with silent laughter.

"Shut up," I said, tossing a quill at him, "Why do they keep asking _me? _What the hell makes me so great?"

"Might be your secretive personality they find alluring," he said, still smirking, "that or the fact that you're beautiful."

I blushed a brilliant shade of red.

"I'm not beautiful," I muttered quickly, and left the classroom.

Christmas Day came way too quickly after that and I awoke to find everyone else already awake and opening their presents. Hardly anyone had left the school for the holidays and the dormitory was full of its usual occupants. Even Jen had stayed, though she was still gloomy about the fact she wasn't going to the ball. I got to my feet with a tired yawn and opened my presents.

My gift from Amy, Anthony, and Dylan (though it was probably just Amy) contained a new hairbrush. There was also a note in which Amy told me that Anthony had made some good money from some shoes he'd invented. He'd been promoted and gotten a Christmas bonus as well. My gift from Jen was the usual box of Chocolate Frogs and a few other assorted sweets from Honeydukes. Lastly, a small box from my "mysterious benefactor" contained a heart-shaped silver locket. Curious I opened the locket to find a picture of Dylan, smiling. Someone had bewitched the photo to make it move like they do in the wizarding world so that every time I opened it Dylan smiled, cooed, and drool ran down his chin. I took off the bat necklace Anthony and Amy had given me a few years ago and I put on the locket. I loved it.

"Is that your little cousin?" Jen asked, looking at my locket while munching on the Licorice Wands I'd given her.

"Yep. That's Dylan," I said proudly.

"Cool. Who sent it to you?"

"No idea. It can't have been my cousin, though, 'cause he isn't a wizard and he detests all magical things," I said with a shrug.

I spent most of the day outside, freezing my tail off, and dreading the coming night. Stupid Yule Ball. At five o'clock Jen came and found me.

"Come on, I'm going to help you get ready for the ball," She declared, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me towards the castle.

"What?"

"Since I can't go myself the least I can do is make you look beautiful," she replied, "Comb your hair, stuff like that."

"You need _three hours _to do that?" I demanded.

"Mm-hmm."

I underwent the next three hours with a grimace, but not complaining because she was my best friend. She combed my hair vehemently, fingered in some conditioner, and insisted on scrubbing my face. She painted my fingernails with black nail polish that had sparkles in it, then she made me put my dress robes on. Up until the very last minute she continued to preen me like I was a princess.

"Thanks for helping me get ready," I said as I left the dungeons and went to join the others in the entrance hall.

"No problem," she said, turning around to go back to the common room, "have fun."

"Yeah, right," I murmured under my breath, "No problem."

When the Durmstrang students walked in through the front door I looked past them to see that the front lawn had been turned into some sort of garden full of fairy lights. A lot of thick rosebushes had been conjured up as well a lot of statues of father Christmas and his reindeer. As the rest of the Slytherins came out of the dungeons I couldn't help but notice Draco staring at me, even though he had Pansy Parkinson with him. Crabbe and Goyle also gaped stupidly. Neither of them had a date.

I walked into the Great Hall, following a bunch of other students. The walls were covered in sparkling silver frost and mistletoe and ivy hung across the starry ceiling. About a hundred small tables lit by lanterns had taken the place of the House tables. The champions danced to the first song with their partners and then made their way over to the tables. I sat down by myself, feeling rather gloomy. There were golden plates and menus and no one knew quite what to do until we saw Dumbledore look down at his own plate and clearly say "Pork chops" and pork chops appeared on his plate. I wasn't very hungry and I felt a little ill. I poked at my salad a little pointlessly as everyone who walked by me either gaped at me or stopped to compliment my robes.

After everyone was finished eating the tables zoomed back against the wall, clearing the floor. A band called the Weird Sisters came out on a stage conjured up by Dumbledore and they began to play. At first it was only the champions dancing then a few other couples made their way onto the dance floor. I figured that, since I had turned so many people down, I would dance with whoever asked me. I danced with Crabbe and Goyle as well as a number of people from different houses. I danced with one of the Weasley twins (I wasn't sure if it was Fred or George) who commented that I "wasn't bad for a Slytherin". I danced once with Cedric Diggory while the girl he came with was in the bathroom.

**Chapter 64**

After dancing with a bunch of Durmstrang boys, who tended to let their hands wander, I retreated to the outside where the rosebushes, statues, and fountains made a lovely spot to hide should the need arise. I walked along the path, feeling disgusted that so many people had touched me.

"If one more slime ball puts their hands on me…" I grumbled to myself, but at that moment I heard a familiar voice.

"I don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor."

It was Snape, walking along with Karkaroff.

"Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" said Karkaroff in an anxious, hushed voice, "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it-"

"Then flee," said Snape curtly, "Flee- I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."

Snape was blasting rosebushes apart with his wand. Kids were squealing and running off.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!" Snape snarled as a girl ran out of the bushes with a boy running after her, "and ten from Hufflepuff, too, Stebbins. What are you two doing?"

"We're walking," said Ron Weasley shortly, "Not against the law, is it?"

"Keep walking then," Snape snarled. It was Weasley and Potter he was talking to. I followed Snape and Karkaroff for a while, listening to their conversation. Snape didn't seem too keen on talking to him so I decided to make my presence known to them.

"Professor Snape," I said, walking up to them. He turned his head and I saw his black eyes glittering by the light of the fairies sitting in the bushes. I was a few feet away from them when I tripped over my robes and fell onto the ground face-first. Both Snape and Karkaroff looked slightly alarmed as I cursed loudly and tried to get to my feet. Snape extended a hand, which I took gratefully, and pulled me to my feet.

"Are you okay?" He asked, snaking his arm around my waist and leaving it there. I was so surprised I couldn't speak, merely nodded weakly.

"Igor, you don't mind if I talk with Casper, do you?" Snape asked in a silky voice, his arm still securely around my waist, "I can always catch up with you some other time."

"Right. Sure. Of course," Karkaroff said, eyeing me curiously, "I'll just head back up to the castle then."

We stood like that until Karkaroff had disappeared out of sight then Snape quickly removed his arm from my waist.

"Sorry," he said quickly.

"For what?" I asked blankly, brushing the dirt off my robes and trying not to think about the fact that his arm had been around my waist.

"I know you dislike to be touched, but it seemed the best way to chase Karkaroff off."

"Oh. Sure," I said. In truth, I hadn't minded so much when he had his arm around my waist. He didn't have to know that, though.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your date with Karkaroff," I said sarcastically, resuming my usual short nature. He scoffed at me as we continued to walk down the path together.

"Why aren't you inside, dancing or something?" He asked, not bothering to respond to my sarcasm.

"I danced with about fifty billion people. I figured I'd dance with them if they asked, since I turned so many people down…"

"And?"

"and I got tired of icky teenage slime balls letting their hands wander too freely," I said bitterly.

"Mm. Well at least you had the sense enough to get out of there. You do look nice, though," He said, avoiding my eyes.

"Thanks," I said awkwardly, looking away, "…so what has Karkaroff so worried?"

"Nothing I want to talk about right now. Perhaps I'll tell you later."

We walked mostly in silence after that and I enjoyed watching him blast the rose bushes apart and ruin other peoples fun. It gave me a warm, satisfactory feeling inside.

"I'm bored," I said with a heavy sigh as he blasted away another rose bush. He looked at me curiously. We were far away from the castle now and I could no longer hear the music playing. We'd come to the end of the path where there was a very large fountain. It was eight reindeer in a circle with a spout of water coming from each of their mouths. I sat on the edge of the fountain and crossed my arms, shivering slightly.

"We could go back to the castle if you're cold," he said lightly, "I needed to talk to Dumbledore anyway."

I didn't respond at first. I was looking up at the stars, tracing the different constellations with my eyes.

"Is it important?" I asked after a few minutes had ticked by.

"Is what important?" He asked, sounding distracted.

"Whatever you need to talk to Dumbledore about."

"Oh. …no, it's not very important."

"Than I'd rather stay here, if it's all the same to you."

We were silent and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that he was watching the stars as well, but every few minutes he'd look over at me.

"A shooting star," he said suddenly, pointing up. I saw it as well.

"You should make a wish," I encouraged.

"Wishing on stars is for children," He retorted, slightly bitter. This surprised me that he could be bitter about something so trivial. I shrugged my shoulders and looked back up at the sky, making a silent wish on the star. A few minutes passed then-

"You made a wish on that star, didn't you?" He asked suddenly. I looked away from the sky and at him.

"Yeah. I did," I said coolly, "I don't care if it's childish."

Another few minutes passed and he finally looked away from the sky, too, and met my eyes though I could barely see him in the dark. I expected he could see my eyes clearly in the starlight because of their luminescence.

"What did you wish for?" He asked without looking away.

"I can't tell you. …then it wouldn't come true…"

"What nonsense," he muttered, standing up.

I felt slightly irked, but I let go of my anger as we walked back up to the castle.

The music had stopped playing, but a few people were still lingering around the hall. Snape went over to talk to Dumbledore. I had turned towards the dungeons when a hand grabbed me from behind. It was Draco in his black velvet robes and he looked excited.

"Come outside with me, Casper, I want to talk to you," he said quickly. He had my hand firmly and I had no choice but to follow him outside. No one was outside and he led me off the path.

"Alright, Draco, what-"

He pushed me against the wall and pressed his mouth firmly against mine. I tried to push him off, but he pinned my hands against the wall, forcing his tongue in my mouth. I couldn't get away.

_SNAPE! _I cried in my mind desperately hoping that, by some miracle, he could hear me.

For a brief moment Draco let go of my arms to let his hands wander down my body. I took that opportunity to punch him in the nose with all my strength. He stumbled backwards, furious, but when he heard running footsteps he fled into the night. I sank onto the ground, my face covered with my hands. Footsteps stopped in front of me and I didn't even bother looking up. I was uncomfortably aware of the fact that tears were leaking out of my eyes.

"Casper, what happened?" Snape asked sharply. I shook my head, unable to speak. I felt weak and stupid for having called him.

"Did someone hurt you?" he asked in an unusually gentle voice. I didn't respond.

"Do you know who it was?" he inquired. I shook my head again.

"Don't worry about it," I said, wiping the tears away, "I'm fine."

He stared at me unblinkingly and then helped me to my feet with gentle hands. I felt shaky and ill, to think what would have happened if I hadn't been able to call for help.

"All you have to do is tell me who and I can have that person expelled," Snape said quietly as we walked back into the Great Hall, keeping a steadying hand a few inches away in case I were to fall.

"No. I'm fine," I insisted, despite the fact that I was covered with dirt, "I just want to go to bed."

He walked with me to the entrance to the Slytherin common room and I went inside without bothering to say good night. I went straight to bed.

**Chapter 65**

The next day I felt oddly mellow. I avoided Draco at all costs and I went to Snape's classroom around lunchtime. He was sitting at his desk, grading homework.

"So, are you gonna tell me what was up with Karkaroff last night before I interrupted the two of you?" I asked with a smirk. He looked at me with a calculating expression, obviously thinking about what had happened late last night, but he decided not to say anything about it.

"Well, since I've already told Dumbledore I might as well tell you…The Dark Mark has been growing clearer. Karkaroff's as well. It's made him nervous," He said shortly.

"What does that mean?" I asked quickly.

"We think it means the Dark Lord is getting stronger," he said hesitantly, "If it burns black we'll know for sure. When the mark burns black all Death Eaters are supposed to Disapparate and appear at his side."

"I see…and Karkaroff is going to flee? Why?" I asked slowly.

"A lot of Death Eaters betrayed the Dark Lord. They fear his retribution."

"That makes sense, I suppose. And if the mark burns black- will you flee?"

"Of course not," he snapped, "I'm not a coward like Karkaroff."

"What _will _you do?"

"Await Dumbledore's orders…and probably go back to the Dark Lord."

"As a spy."

He nodded slowly.

"There's no proof, of course, other than the Mark…and we could always be wrong," He said quickly, "Either way…don't tell anyone-"

"-or else you'll throw me off the Astronomy Tower?" I asked with a faint smile, recalling his old threat.

"Exactly," he said with no trace of a smile. My smile faded and we were silent for a moment. I took a deep breath.

"Can I see the Dark Mark?" I asked on an exhale. He pulled up his sleeve and showed me the mark on his left forearm. It was the same mark I had seen on the front page of the newspaper after the Quidditch World Cup, a skull with a serpent as a tongue. I made a move to touch it and he pulled his arm away and jerked his sleeve back down.

"Don't touch it," he said in a soft but deadly voice.

"Sorry," I said quietly, "…does it hurt?"

"Not right this second, but as it keeps growing clearer it will," he said, "Especially if the Dark Lord calls."

The rest of the Holiday passed without incident. On our first day back in classes it became impossible to avoid Draco, but the two of us avoided each others eyes and didn't speak. When we walked down to Care of Magical Creatures after lunch we found that we had a substitute teacher instead of Hagrid, a woman named Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she snapped at the Gryffindors as they trudged towards her though the snow.

"Who're you?" asked Weasley, "Where's Hagrid?"

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said in a brisk voice, "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where's Hagrid?" Potter asked loudly.

"He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly.

Draco laughed unpleasantly like he knew something we didn't.

"This way, please," said Professor Grubbly-Plank. She led the class past the Beauxbatons carriages and towards the edge of the forest where a unicorn was tied to a tree. It was a bright white color and it made the snow seemed dull. A lot of people made admiring noises.

"Boys keep back!" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, com on, easy does it…"

The unicorn pawed the ground and tossed it's horned head when I approached and it wouldn't let me touch it. Professor Grubbly-Plank suggested I go back and stand with the boys, which I did. Draco was talking to the Gryffindor boys and showing them something in the newspaper.

"Well, I think that should put an end to the oaf's teaching career," said Draco his eyes glinting evilly, "Half-giant…and there was me thinking he'd just swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young…Non of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at al…They'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha…"

"You-" Potter began.

"Are you paying attention over there?" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank. She was talking about the various magical properties of unicorns. I tuned her out and thought about what I'd just heard. They'd obviously been talking about Hagrid and Draco had said he was a half-giant. I didn't know that.

A few nights later when I found myself unable to sleep I did something I hadn't done in a long time- I snuck out onto the grounds, broke into the broom shed, and took Potter's Firebolt for a fly. The moon was full and, even though it was freezing, I enjoyed flying over the lake, letting my invisible feet barely skim the water. I also liked flying as high as I could, zooming towards the ground, and then pulling up before I hit the ground.

"You really should try out for a position on the Quidditch Team," Said a quiet voice. Startled, I looked around and spotted Snape beneath a large tree. I landed silently beside him.

"Why're you standing over here in the dark?" I asked him.

"The Durmstrang ship is right over there," he said, nodding to the boat floating in the lake a few yards from where I had been flying.

"Oh."

"You should probably go inside. It'd look odd if one of them were to look out and see a broomstick flying around all on its own," he said silkily.

"No use. I can't sleep," I replied with a sigh.

"Hmm…would you like a Sleeping Potion?" he offered quietly. I thought about if for a moment. I needed to get some sleep. I still had classes the next day.

"Yeah. Alright," I said, "Just let me put this back…"

I stored the broomstick and followed Snape back up to the castle. We were heading towards his classroom when we heard an unearthly wailing noise.

"What the bloody hell is that?" I asked, clamping my hands over my ears.

"Let's go see…"

We turned to head back up the stairs when Snape paused.

"My office door is open!" he hissed, sounding surprised, "Only a powerful wizard could have broken in to it… you didn't-?"

"No," I said shortly, "Why would I go in your office unless you were in it?"

"Of course…come along, then, let's go see what that noise was."

We left the dungeons and walked up the stairs where we saw Filch and his cat standing, holding something.

"Filch? What's going on?" Snape asked the caretaker as we made our way up the stairs.

"It's Peeves, Professor," Filch said malevolently, "He threw this egg down the stairs."

"Peeves?" said Snape quietly, staring at the egg, "But Peeves couldn't get into my office…"

"This egg was in your office, Professor?"

"Of course not!" he snapped, "I heard banging and wailing-"

"Yes, Professor, that was the egg-"

"-I was coming to investigate-"

"-Peeves threw it, Professor-"

"-and when I passed my office, I saw that the torches were lit and a cupboard door was ajar! Somebody has been searching it!"

"But Peeves couldn't-"

"I know he couldn't, Filch!" Snape snapped, "I seal my office with a spell none but a wizard could break! I want you to come and help me search for the intruder, Filch."

"I- yes, Professor- but-"

There was a long silence. Filch seemed reluctant to go with Snape. He looked yearningly up the stairs, no doubt wanting to go tell off Peeves.

"The thing is, Professor," Filch said finally, "the Headmaster will have to listen to me this time. Peeves has been stealing from a student, it might be my chance to get him thrown out of the castle once and for all-"

"Filch, I don't give a damn about that wretched poltergeist; it's my office that's-"

Snape stopped talking very abruptly . We all turned to see Mad-Eye Moody clunking up the stairs.

"Pajama party, is it?" he growled as he approached. I stifled a laugh. Moody's eye lingered on me for only a moment before turning to Snape and Filch.

"Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor," said Filch immediately, "Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around as usual- and the Professor Snape discovered that someone had broken into his off-"

"Shut up!" Snape hissed at Filch.

"Did I hear that correctly, Snape?" Moody asked slowly, "Someone broke into your office?"

"It is unimportant," said Snape coldly.

"On the contrary," growled Moody, "it is very important. Who'd want to break into your office?"

"A student, I daresay. It has happened before. Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard…students attempting illicit mixtures, no doubt…"

"Reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh? Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?" Moody asked. Snape's face turned a nasty brick color and he clenched his teeth.

"You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," he said in a dangerous voice, "as you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself."

Moody's gnarled face twisted into a smile.

"Auror's privilege, Snape, Dumbledore told me to keep an eye-"

"Dumbledore happens to trust me," Snape said angrily, "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!"

" 'course Dumbledore trusts you," Moody growled, "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me- I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?"

Snape grabbed his forearm suddenly as if the mark had hurt him. I opened my mouth furiously to say something to Moody, but quickly remembered I was invisible. That didn't stop me from shooting him a deadly look that he could see with his magical eye.

"Get back to bed, Snape," Moody said, laughing.

"You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" Snape hissed, letting go of his arm as if he were angry with himself, "I have as much right to prowl around this school after dark as you do!"

"Prowl away," said Moody menacingly, "I look forward to meeting you in a dark corridor some time… You've dropped something, by the way…"

Moody pointed to a piece of parchment on the staircase. Snape reached for it, but at the last moment Moody shouted "_Accio Parchment!_" and the parchment flew into his hands.

"My mistake," Moody said calmly, "It's mine- must've dropped it earlier-"

Snape's eyes darted from the egg in Filch's hands to the parchment Moody had. He quickly put two and two together.

"Potter," he said quietly.

"What's that?" Moody asked, pocketing the parchment.

"Potter!" Snape snarled, "That egg is Potter's egg. That piece of parchment belongs to Potter. I have seen it before, I recognize it! Potter is here! Potter, in his Invisibility Cloak!"

Snape stretched out his arms and began to walk up the staircase like a blind man.

"There's nothing there, Snape," barked Moody, "but I'll be happy to tell the headmaster how quickly your mind jumped to Harry Potter!"

"Meaning what?" said Snape, turning to face Moody once more.

"Meaning that Dumbledore's very interested to know who's got it in for that boy!" said Moody, "and so am I, Snape…very interested…"

There was a pause in which Snape stared at Moody with pure loathing. Then, slowly, he lowered his hands.

"I merely thought," he said, forcing his voice to be calm, "that if Potter was wandering around after hours again…it's an unfortunate habit of his…he should be stopped. For- for his own safety."

"Ah, I see," said Moody softly, "Got Potter's best interests at heart, have you?"

There was another pause which was interrupted by Mrs. Norris who meowed loudly.

"I think I will go back to bed," said Snape curtly.

"Best idea you've had all night," said Moody.

_What's Moody's problem? _I asked Snape.

"_Don't worry about it. Let's just get that potion and you can get off to bed,_" He replied, sounding faintly annoyed.

**Chapter 66**

The second Triwizard Tournament Task came a few days later. Everyone went down to the edge of the lake where the stands had been set up once more. I took a seat beside Jen, as far away from Draco as possible.

"Where do you think Potter is?" Jen hissed as the task was about to start.

"Dunno. Maybe he's too scared to show up," I said with a smirk. But at that moment everyone saw Potter run around the lake to where the other champions were waiting.

A few minutes later Ludo Bagman addressed the crowd.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One…two…_three_!"

The whistle echoed loudly in the cold, still air. The stands erupted with cheers. Potter took off his shoes and socks and waded out into the water.

"What is he going to swim?" Jen asked.

"No, he put something in his mouth just before he went into the water," I murmured in reply. All of a sudden gills appeared on the sides of his neck and Potter threw himself into the lake. Both Diggory and Fleur had used the Bubble-head charm.

"Look at Krum," Jen said excitedly. He had transfigured himself into a shark, or at least half a shark. He still had a human body.

Once they were all in the lake all the crowd could do was wait. Mostly people just talked, but I became bored quickly. It was nearly an hour later that they pulled Fleur Delacour out of the lake covered in scratches. She had been attacked by grindylows and forced to withdraw, Bagman announced. The next one to come out of the lake was Cedric Diggory with an unconscious girl. I recognized her as the girl he'd taken to the dance, Cho Chang. A few minutes later Krum came out with Hermione Granger. Potter came up last with Ron Weasley and a little blonde-haired girl who was obviously Fleur's sister.

A few minutes later the judges were ready to announce the scores.

"Ladies and Gentlemen we have reached our decision," said Bagman in his magically magnified voice, "Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows…

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

There was a quiet applause from the stands.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour. We therefore award him 47 points."

More applause, even louder than it had been for Fleur.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him 40 points.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect. He returned last and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own. Most of the judges feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However…Mr. Potter's score is 45 points."

The crowd burst into a long round of applause that took quite a while to die off. When it did Bagman continued,

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the 24th of June. The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

The students started to make their way back to the castle. I waited patiently for Snape who had been sitting with the other teachers. He had an eerie expression on his face like the cat who caught the canary.

"What's up?" I asked when he caught up with me.

"Gillyweed. That is one of the things I noticed missing from my private stores the other night when my office was broken into," He said nastily, "now I know it was Potter."

"Who else would it have been?"

He muttered something that sounded a lot like the word 'Moody'.

"So, are you going to report him?" I asked Snape.

"No."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Torture him…not physically, of course."

"You're going to mess with his head."

"Yes."

"How?"

"You'll see soon enough."

We had double Potions with the Gryffindors on Friday like we always did. My fellow Slytherins seemed to know something I didn't and they were all gathered around outside the classroom door, looking at something Pansy Parkinson had in her hand. I didn't much care what it was, but when Potter, Weasley, and Granger showed up Pansy tossed a magazine towards them.

"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger," Pansy said loudly. Hermione caught it, looking startled. At that moment the door opened and Snape beckoned us all inside. I sat down at my usual desk and as soon as Snape's back was turned to write the ingredients on the board I noticed the three Gryffindors reading the magazine underneath their desk. When they finished reading whatever it was they started a whispered conversation, but I was too busy pulling Potion ingredients out of my bag to listen. We were supposed to be brewing a Wit-Sharpening Potion. I began to pound up scarab beetles with a pestle but I soon became aware that I was the only one actually working. Snape was standing behind Potter, Weasley, and Granger who were still talking in hushed voices, unaware that he was behind them. Everyone else in the room was also looking at them.

"And what did you say?" Weasley asked Granger.

"Well, I was too busy seeing whether you and Harry were okay to-"

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger," said Snape, making them jump, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."

_They were also reading a magazine. It's under the table, _I informed him silently.

"Ah…reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape added, snatching up the copy of _Witch Weekly _magazine, "A further ten points from Gryffindor…oh but of course…Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings…"

I stifled my laughter as an unpleasant smile curled Snape's mouth. My fellow Slytherins were also laughing heartily.

"_Should I read it out loud, do you think?_" Snape asked me in my mind.

_Yes, _I said eagerly, though he probably would have done it anyway. He began to read aloud to the delight of me and my classmates.

" '_Harry Potter's Secret Heartache'_… dear, dear, Potter, what's ailing you now? '_A boy like no other, perhaps- yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, _writes Rita Skeeter. _Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss. Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys' affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has never felt this way about any other girl. However, it might not be Miss Granger's doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interests. "She's really ugly," says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, "but she'd be well up to making a Love Potion, she's quite brainy. I think that's how she's doing it." Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate.' _How very touching," Snape sneered. Potter and Granger were both blushing furiously. I was shaking with silent laughter.

"Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter- that table in front of my desk. Move. Now," Snape said to them.

Potter drug his cauldron and his things up to the desk beside mine. Snape followed and sat down at his desk, watching Potter mash his scarab beetles. I had already dumped my scarab beetles into my cauldron and was now slicing ginger roots.

"All this press attention seems to have inflated your already over-large head, Potter," Snape said quietly once the class had settled down. Probably only Potter and myself could hear him, though Potter seemed determined not to respond.

"You might be laboring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you," Snape went on, "but I don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me, Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him."

Again Potter didn't respond. My ginger roots were sliced and I now dumped them into my cauldron. I had been trying to concentrate on my potion while listening to them, but as Snape continued I unknowingly stopped working on the potion to listen.

"So I give you fair warning, Potter," Snape said in a dangerous voice, "pint-sized celebrity or not- if I catch you breaking into my office one more time-"

"I haven't been anywhere near your office!" said Potter angrily. I could tell he wasn't lying, but I didn't both to tell Snape that. Snape looked furious and I was too interested in what was happening to interrupt.

"Don't lie to me," Snape hissed, "Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Potter said coldly. _That was an outright lie, _I thought, unsure if Snape was listening or not.

"You were out of bed on the night my office was broken into!" Snape hissed, "I know it, Potter! Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club, but I will not tolerate your behavior! One more nighttime stroll into my office, Potter, and you will pay!"

"Right," said Potter coolly, "I'll bear that in mind if I ever get the urge to go in there."

I suppressed a snort of laughter. Snape's eyes flashed dangerously and he plunged a hand into his black robes. For a moment Potter looked as if he thought Snape was going to curse him. Snape had drawn out a small crystal vial full of a clear potion.

"Do you know what this is, Potter?" Snape asked, his eyes glittering dangerously.

"No," said Potter honestly. _Veritaserum, _I answered in my head.

"It is Veritaserum- a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling you innermost secrets for this entire class to hear," said Snape viciously, "Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand _slips _right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then Potter…then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not."

Potter didn't say anything else but I found myself watching Snape with admiration. I always wanted to brew Veritaserum, just because it was supposed to be extremely complex…and it was cool to say. Veritaserum. Almost like something said in Parseltongue.

**Chapter 67**

Snape tore his eyes away from Potter for a moment and met my eyes. His eyes were black and fathomless, like the lake.

"_Stop staring at me,_" he said in my head with a smirk. Outside my head he said-

"Casper, your potion's burning."

I looked down with a start to see that my potion had burned while I was listening to Potter and Snape talking. I blushed furiously as I grabbed my wand, pointed it at the flames, and said "_Aguamenti!_"

A jet of flames shot out of my wand and I, feeling quite miserable, had to start my Wit-Sharpening Potion all over again.

An unexpected knock on the door captured my attention, but I also concentrated on my potion.

"Enter," said Snape in his usual voice. The door opened and I glanced up as Karkaroff walked past me and up to Snape's desk.

"We need to talk," Karkaroff said in a low voice.

"I'll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff," Snape muttered.

"I want to talk now, while you can't slip off, Severus. You've been avoiding me."

"After the lesson," Snape snapped angrily.

_Jeez, what does he want? _I inquired as Karkaroff continued to hover around Snape's desk.

"_How should I know?_" he retorted snippily.

_No need to get snippy with me._

"_Sorry. Probably the same thing he always wants. To talk about the stupid mark._"

_Is it burning?_

"_No, but it's clearer than ever before. Back to how it used to be._"

I felt my face go paler than usual and I broke the link between our minds as I started to cut ginger roots again.

At the end of the lesson I left with everyone else, but I slipped back in seconds later wearing my Disillusionment Charm.

"What is so urgent?" Snape hissed at Karkaroff.

"_This_," said Karkaroff, jerking down his sleeve and showing his Dark Mark to Snape. I heard something and looked over to see Potter pretending to wipe up something off the floor.

_Snape, Potter is eavesdropping, _I warned him.

"Well?" said Karkaroff, "Do you see? It's never been this clear, never since-"

"Put it away!" Snape snarled, his eyes sweeping the classroom.

"But you must have noticed-" Karkaroff began agitatedly.

"We can talk later, Karkaroff!" he spat angrily, "Potter! What are you doing?"

"Clearing up my armadillo bile, Professor," said Potter innocently, holding up a sodden rag. Karkaroff turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon, looking worried and angry. Potter left at top speed after that. I walked over to Snape's desk.

"I've always wanted to brew Veritaserum," I said, avoiding the subject of Karkaroff for the moment.

"Why's that?" He asked distractedly.

"Because it's supposed to be really hard to make. Also, it just sounds awesome to say. Veritaserum," I said, grinning. To my surprise he smiled slightly as well.

"Well, the next time I need to brew some I will let you help," he said to me.

A few weeks later I was waiting for Snape outside of the stone gargoyle that hid Dumbledore's office. I had promised to help him grade some homework, but he'd had to talk to Dumbledore first. I was wearing my Disillusionment Charm, of course, because I always felt more comfortable when I was invisible. The hallway was completely deserted besides myself and the statue. Until, that is, I heard footsteps. It was Harry Potter, running at full-speed towards the stone gargoyle. I had to practically leap out of the way to avoid being smashed into and I skidded painfully on the floor, scraping my hands.

"Lem- lemon drop," Potter panted, apparently thinking this was the password. Nothing happened.

"Move!" he shouted at it, "C'mon!"

Nothing happened. He looked up and down the corridor and then took off towards the staircase again. The gargoyle moved and Snape walked out.

"POTTER!"

He skidded to a halt and looked around. Harry walked back towards him as Snape beckoned. _He almost knocked me over. I'm on the floor and I think my hands are bleeding. Bit hard to tell being as I'm invisible, _I said to Snape.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" he asked him.

"I need to see Professor Dumbledore!" said Potter, "It's Mr. Crouch…he's just turned up…he's in the forest…he's asking-"

"What is this rubbish? What are you talking about?" Snape asked.

"Mr. Crouch!" Potter shouted, "From the Ministry! He's ill or something- he's in the forest, he wants to see Dumbledore! Just give me the password up to-"

"The headmaster is busy, Potter," said Snape, smiling unpleasantly.

"I've got to tell Dumbledore!"

"Didn't you here me Potter?"

"Look," said Potter angrily, "Crouch isn't right- he's- he's out of his mind- he says he wants to warn-"

Suddenly the door behind Snape opened and there stood Dumbledore, looking between Snape and Potter.

"Is there are problem?" he asked pleasantly.

"Professor!" Potter said before Snape could say anything, "Mr. Crouch is here- he's down in the forest, he wants to speak to you!"

"Lead the way!" said Dumbledore promptly, following Potter down the staircase leaving Snape looking enraged.

"Well, that was a lovely performance. Any chance you can help me up now?" I asked bitterly. He turned around as if he had forgotten I was there. He extended a hand and helped me to my feet. I grabbed my wand and removed my Disillusionment Charm so I could get a better look at my injuries. My hands were scraped and bleeding.

"Stupid Potter," I grumbled angrily.

"Let me see your hands," Snape said smoothly. He examined both of my hands before using the _Episkey _spell to heal them.

"Why do you always have to examine my wounds before you heal them?" I asked when my hands were restored.

"The _Episkey _spell can only heal relatively minor injuries like burns, scrapes, and the occasional broken nose. It also doesn't hurt to make sure the wound is clean so you don't risk getting an infection," he replied as we made our way down the staircase.

**Chapter 68**

The third Triwizard Tournament task took place late in June. I made my way to the stands around what was once the Quidditch field. It was now a maze. I was surprised when Snape came to sit beside me.

"Don't you usually sit with the teachers?" I asked him.

"It's not a requirement. I can see better from here. Also, most of the teachers are patrolling the outside of the maze in case one of the champions needs to be rescued," he replied, absently rubbing his forearm. The stands quickly filled around us and finally the third task was ready to begin. It was getting dark and a few stars dotted the sky.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!" announced Bagman in his magically magnified voice, "Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place with 85 points each- Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts school. In second place with 80 points- Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! And in third place- Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy!"

There was a loud applause and cheering for all four of the champions.

"So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" Bagman continued, "Three- two -one!"

He gave the whistle a short blast and Potter and Cedric hurried forwards into the maze. A few minutes later Krum went in and after him went Fleur.

No one could see what was going on in the maze, all we could do was wait to see who reached the Triwizard Cup first. Sometime during the wait red sparks were sent up halfway through the maze and someone went to retrieve Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour. Now only Potter and Diggory were left in the maze.

I didn't get to stay for much longer after that. I was caught off guard by a searing pain that seemed to flood my entire veins. Snape noticed my silent torment immediately and led me out of the stands and away from my fellow students who weren't even paying attention to me. My brain was practically numb from the pain. He let me sit down in the grass behind the stands and I curled up into a ball until, at long last, the pain stopped. Visibly shaking, my teeth chattering, I looked up.

"What- what was that?" I asked, struggling to my feet.

"I'm not sure," he replied, trying his best not to sound worried. I stood there with my arms crossed, still shivering. A few minutes later Snape clutched his forearm.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, alarmed.

"It's burning!" He said, yanking his sleeve up and rubbing furiously at the mark as if to erase it. Even by the light of the moon I could see the Dark Mark was burning black. Without thinking at all I covered the mark with my cold hands. Snape's eyes went wide and he relaxed slightly.

"It…it stopped burning," he said in awe, "Usually it hurts if someone else touches it, and burns when the Dark Lord touches it, but you made it stop…how?"

"I don't know. I just thought that my hands were a lot colder than the mark so… Does this mean…that the Dark Lord is back?" I asked fearfully. For a moment he didn't reply and I could see his face was contorted, his mind working at a quick pace as he sorted something out.

"I think so," he said quietly, then he jumped slightly, "We've got to find Dumbledore!"

We turned back towards the stadiums in time to see Karkaroff running away towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Karkaroff is fleeing. It is as I feared," Snape said softly. He pulled out his wand suddenly and tapped me on the head. I felt the coldness of the Disillusionment Charm trickle down my back, which was already cold, and I shivered again.

It took us a long time to find Dumbledore and to get through the crowd, especially since I was invisible. Before we'd even gotten to Dumbledore the cheers had turned into shocked, confused screams. Potter had shown up, clutching the Triwizard Cup, and Cedric Diggory's dead body. It became increasingly more difficult to reach Dumbledore as half the people were running from the stands onto the field or back towards the castle. As we reached Dumbledore, who was talking with Cedric Diggory's parents, I saw Professor Moody carrying away a dark shape that looked like Potter.

It was a few minutes before everything quieted down a bit. Diggory's parents went off with Professor Sprout, who was the head of his House. All the students were told to go to bed. Then Dumbledore turned and looked at the spot where the Triwizard Cup still lay, abandoned.

"Where's Harry?" He said sharply. No one seemed to know except me, but since I was invisible I couldn't say anything.

_Moody took him towards the castle! _I forced the words at Snape.

"Professor Moody took him to the castle, Dumbledore," Snape repeated quickly. Something darkened in Dumbledore's eyes and he took off towards the castle at an alarming pace.

"Alastor Moody would never take Harry after I told him to stay," Dumbledore said to Snape and McGonagall, who were following him. Something seemed to dawn on them as well and their pace quickened.

_What's going on? _I asked Snape as I ran to catch up.

"_Dumbledore doesn't think that it is the real Moody._"

_What?_

But there was no reply.

Dumbledore pulled out his wand as we approached Moody's office and he blasted the door apart with a Stunning Spell. There stood Mad-Eye Moody, pointing his wand at Potter who was backed into a corner. He was quickly thrown backwards by the force of the spell and knocked him out. Potter was injured in a lot of places and looked about ready to fall out himself. Dumbledore walked into the office and kicked over Moody's unconscious body so that his face was visible. Snape walked over to Moody's foe glass in which his own face, as well as those of Dumbledore and McGonagall, was reflected. McGonagall walked right over to Potter.

"Come along, Potter," she whispered, sounding as if she were about to cry, "Come along…hospital wing…"

"No," said Dumbledore sharply.

"Dumbledore, he ought to- look at him- he's been through enough tonight-"

"He will stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand," said Dumbledore curtly, "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. He needs to know who has put him through the ordeal he has suffered tonight, and why."

"Moody," said Potter in a hollow, disbelieving voice, "How can it have been Moody?"

"This is not Alastor Moody," said Dumbledore softly, "You have never known Alastor Moody. The real Moody would not have removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. The moment he took you, I knew- and I followed."

Dumbledore bent over and took two things from Moody's robes- his hip flask from which he always drank, and a set of keys. He turned to McGonagall and Snape.

"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and being up a house-elf named Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here," Dumbledore said. They both turned to obey their peculiar instructions at once and I hastened to follow Snape. As soon as McGonagall was gone I started to talk.

"What happened to Potter in that maze? I couldn't hear over the noise of the crowd."

"The Triwizard Cup was a Portkey. Harry Potter found himself face to face with the Dark Lord once more. I don't know more than that. The Dark Lord has returned," He replied. I didn't respond for a moment, feeling slightly ill.

"We're getting a Truth Potion and a house-elf…why?" I asked, confused.

"It's not our place to question Dumbledore's orders," He said tersely.

**Chapter 69**

We went into Snape's office where he retrieved the small vial of Veritaserum. Then we went up a few flights of stairs to a picture of a bowl of fruit. Snape tickled the pear, it giggled, and a hidden passageway opened that led to the kitchens. I had only seen pictures of house-elves before, but here stood hundreds of them, carrying various bowls and platters of food.

"How can we help you, sir?" squeaked one of the elves, sounding a tad bit frightened.

"Dumbledore wishes to speak with a house-elf called Winky," Snape said. They all pointed anxiously over to a fire where sat a dirty-looking elf wearing a filthy dress. She stood up and followed Snape and my invisible self back to Moody's classroom.

Snape stopped dead in the doorway of the classroom, causing me to crash into him. Professor McGonagall, who had caught up with us, also stopped before she collided with me. Both of them were staring at the man on the floor who was no longer Mad-Eye Moody.

"Crouch!" said Snape, "Barty Crouch."

"Good heavens!" Exclaimed McGonagall. The house-elf peered around Snape's legs. She let out a piercing shriek.

"Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?" she cried. She threw herself onto the man's chest.

"You is killed him! You is killed him! You is killed Master's son!" She shrieked at Dumbledore.

"He is simply Stunned, Winky," said Dumbledore, "Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?"

Snape wordlessly handed Dumbledore the potion. Dumbledore crouched down beside the boy, forced his mouth open, and poured three drops inside it. Then he pointed his wand and said, "_Ennervate._"

Barty Crouch's eyelids opened. His face was slacked and his eyes unfocused.

"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

"Yes," he muttered

"I would like for you to tell us," said Dumbledore softly, "how you escaped from Azkaban."

Crouch took a shuddering breath and began in an expressionless voice that wouldn't have been present if the Veritaserum wasn't forcing him to respond.

"My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as a last favor to her. He loved her as he had never loved me. He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draught of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother's hairs. She took a draught containing one of my hairs. We took on each other's appearance," he said.

"Say no more, Master Barty, say no more, you is getting your father into trouble!" cried the house-elf.

"The dementors are blind. They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban. They sensed one healthy, one dying person leaving it. My father smuggled me out, disguised as my mother, in case any prisoners were watching through their doors.

"My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me," he continued in the same tone.

"And what did your father do with you, when he had got you home?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Staged my mother's death. A quiet, private funeral. That grave is empty. The house-elf nursed me back to health. Then I had to be concealed. I had to be controlled. My father had to use a number of spells to subdue me. When I had recovered my strength I thought only of finding my master…of returning to his service."

"How did your father subdue you?" asked Dumbledore.

"The Imperius Curse. I was under my father's control. I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night. I was always with the house-elf. She was my keeper and caretaker. She pitied me. She persuaded my father to give me occasional treats. Rewards for my good behavior."

"Master Barty, Master Barty," sobbed Winky, "You isn't ought to tell them, we is getting in trouble…"

"Did anybody discover that you were still alive?" Dumbledore inquired, "Did anyone know except your father and the house-elf?"

"Yes. A witch in my father's office. Bertha Jorkins. She came to the house with papers for my father's signature. He was not at home. Winky showed her inside and returned to the kitchen, to me. But Bertha Jorkins heard Winky talking to me. She came to investigate. She heard enough to guess who was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak. My father arrived home. She confronted him. He put a very powerful Memory Charm on her to make her forget what she'd found out. Too powerful. He said it damaged her memory permanently."

"why is she coming to nose in my master's private business?" wept the house-elf, "Why isn't she leaving us be?"

"Tell me about the Quidditch World Cup,"said Dumbledore.

"Winky talked my father into it," continued Crouch, "She spent months persuading him. I had not left the house for years. I had loved Quidditch. Let him go, she said. He will be in his Invisibility Cloak. He can watch. Let him smell fresh air for once. She said my mother would have wanted it. She told my father that my mother had died to give me freedom. She had not saved me for a life of imprisonment. He agreed in the end.

"It was carefully planned. My father led me and Winky up to the Top Box early in the day. Winky was to say that she was saving a seat for my father. I was to sit there, invisible. When everyone had left the box we would emerge. Winky would appear to be alone. No one would ever know.

"But Winky didn't know that I was growing stronger. I was starting to fight my father's Imperius Curse. There were times when I was almost myself again. There were brief periods when I seemed almost myself again. There were times when it semed I was outside his control. It happened, there, in the Top Box. It was like waking from a deep sleep. I found myself out in public, in the middle of the match, and I saw, in front of me, a wand sticking out of a boy's pocket. I had not been allowed a wand since before Azkaban. I stole it. Winky didn't know. Winky is frightened of heights. She had her face hidden."

"Master Barty, you bad boy!" whispered the house elf.

"So you took the wand," said Dumbledore, "and what did you do with it?"

"We went back to the tent. Then we heard them. We heard the Death Eaters. The ones who had never been to Azkaban. The ones who had never suffered for my master. They had turned their backs on him. They were not enslaved, as I was. They were free to seek him, but they did not. They were merely making sport of Muggles. The sound of their voices awoke me. My mind was clearer than it had been in years. I was angry. I had the wand. I wanted to attack them for their disloyalty to my master. My father had left the tent: he had gone to free the Muggles. Winky was afraid to see me so angry. She used her own brand of magic to bind me to her. She pulled me from the tent, pulled me into the forest, away from the Death Eaters. I tried to hold her back. I wanted to return to the campsite. I wanted to show those Death Eaters what loyalty to the Dark Lord meant, and to punish them for their lack of it. I used the stolen wand to cast the Dark Mark into the sky.

"Ministry wizards arrived. They shot Stunning Spells everywhere. One of the spells came through the trees where Winky and I stood. The bond connecting us was broken. We were both Stunned.

"When Winky was discovered, my father knew I must be nearby. He searched the bushes where she had been found and felt me lying there. He put me back under the Imperius Curse and took me home. He dismissed Winky. She had failed him. She had let me acquire a wand. She had almost let me escape.

"Now it was just father and I, alone in the house. And then…and then…My master came for me. He arrived at our house late one night in the arms of his servant, Wormtail. My master had found out that I was still alive. He had captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. He had tortured her. She told him a great deal. She told him about the Triwizard Tournament. She told him the old Auror, Moody, was going to teach at Hogwarts. He tortured her until he broke through the Memory Charm my father had placed upon her. She told him I had escaped from Azkaban. She told him my father kept me imprisoned to prevent me from seeking my master. And so my master knew that I was still his faithful servant- perhaps the most faithful of all. My master conceived a plan, based upon the information Bertha had given him. He needed me. He arrived at our house near midnight. My father answered the door. It was very quick. My father was placed under the Imperius Curse by my master. Now my father was the one imprisoned, controlled. My master forced him to go about his business as usual, to act as though nothing was wrong. And I was released. I awoke. I was myself again, alive as I hadn't been in years."

"And what did Lord Voldemort ask you to do?" said Dumbledore. I looked up sharply. That was the first time I had ever heard someone say the Dark Lord's name out loud.

"He asked me whether I was ready to risk everything for him. I was ready. It was my dream, my greatest ambition, to serve him, to prove myself to him. He told me he needed to place a faithful servant at Hogwarts," continued Crouch. I chanced a glance at Snape, wondering if he had been offended that the Dark Lord needed a _faithful _servant at Hogwarts. He didn't. He seemed just as perplexed as the rest of us.

"-Ensure he reached the Triwizard Cup. Turn the cup into a Portkey, which would take the first person to touch it to my master. But first-"

"You needed Alastor Moody," said Dumbledore, voice calm.

"Wormtail and I did it. We had prepared the Polyjuice Potion beforehand. We journeyed to his house. Moody put up a struggle. There was a commotion. We managed to subdue him just in time. Forced him into a compartment of his own magical trunk. Took some of his hair and added it to the potion. I drank it; I became Moody's double. I took his leg and his eye. I was ready to face Arthur Weasley when he arrived to sort out the Muggles who had heard a disturbance. I made the dustbins move around the yard. I told Arthur Weasley I had heard intruders in my yard, who had set off the dustbins. Then I packed up Moody's clothes and Dark Detectors, put them in the trunk with Moody, and set off for Hogwarts. I kept him alive, under the Imperius Curse. I wanted to be able to question him. To find out about his past, learn his habits, so that I could fool even Dumbledore. I also needed his hair to make the Polyjuice Potion. The other ingredients were easy. I stole Boomslang skin from the dungeons. When the Potions master found me in his office, I said I was under orders to search it."

I glanced again at Snape, who looked furious.

"And what became of Wormtail after you attacked Moody?" asked Dumbledore.

"Wormtail returned to care for my master, in my father's house, and to keep watch over my father," replied Crouch.

"but your father escaped," said Dumbledore.

"Yes. After a while he began to fight the Imperius Curse just as I had done. There were periods when he knew what was happening. My master decided it was no longer safe for my father to leave the house. He forced him to send letters to the Ministry instead. He made him write and say he was ill. But Wormtail neglected his duty. He was not being watchful enough. My father escaped. My master guessed that he was heading for Hogwarts. My father was going to tell Dumbledore everything, to confess. He was going to admit that he had smuggled me from Azkaban. My master sent me word of my father's escape. He told me to stop him at all costs. So I waited and watched. I used the map I had taken from Harry Potter. The map that had almost ruined everything."

"Map? What map is this?" asked Dumbledore quickly.

I knew exactly what he was talking about. It was the bewitched map of Hogwarts that Potter had. I had seen it last year when I was trying to find Snape and had seen the map open on Lupin's desk.

"Potter's map of Hogwarts," said Crouch, "Potter saw me on it. Potter saw me stealing more ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion from Snape's office one night. He thought I was my father. We have the same first name. I took the map from Potter that night. I told him my father hated Dark wizards. Potter believed my father was after Snape.

"For a week I waited for my father to arrive at Hogwarts. At last, one evening, the map showed my father entering the grounds. I pulled on my Invisibility Cloak and went down to meet him. He was walking around the edge of the forest. Then Potter came, and Krum. I waited. I could not hurt Potter, my master needed him. Potter ran to get Dumbledore. I stunned Krum. I killed my father."

"_Nooo!_" wailed the house-elf, "Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you saying?"

"You killed your father," said Dumbledore in a soft voice, "What did you do with the body?"

"Carried it into the forest, covered it with the Invisibility Cloak. I had the map with me. I watched Potter run into the castle. He met Snape. Dumbledore joined them. I watched Potter bringing Dumbledore out of the castle. I walked back out of the forest, doubled around behind them, and went to meet them. I told Dumbledore Snape had told me where to come.

"Dumbledore told me to go and look for my father. I went back to my father's body. Watched the map. When everyone was gone, I Transfigured my father's body. He became a bone…I buried it, while wearing the Invisibility Cloak, in the freshly dug earth in front of Hagrid's cabin."

"And tonight?" Dumbledore asked.

"I offered to carry the Triwizard Cup into the maze before diner. Turned it into a Portkey. My master's plan worked. He is returned to power and I will be honored by him beyond the dreams of wizards," said Crouch, his face lit with an insane smile.

**Chapter 70**

Dumbledore used his wand to bind Barty Crouch with ropes before turning to Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva, could I ask you to stand guard here while I take Harry upstairs?" He asked her. She looked as nauseous as I felt. Her hand was quite steady as she drew her want and pointed it at Crouch.

"Severus please tell Madam Pomfrey to come down here; we need to get Alastor Moody into the hospital wing. Then go down into the grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him up to this office. He will undoubtedly want to question Crouch himself. Tell him I will be in the hospital wing in half an hour's time if he needs me," Dumbledore said. Snape nodded swiftly and we left the room.

"Are you alright, Casper?" Snape asked as we walked down the corridor.

"Just peachy," I replied, though I was unable to keep a faint quiver from my voice. He reached out and took my hand gently in a reassuring manner. I felt a little steadier.

"I've never heard one person tell the truth like that before," I said with a hollow laugh, "It was surprising…and really disturbing."

I followed him in silence as he talked to Madam Pomfrey and gave her a brief explanation of what had happened. She left immediately to go get the real Professor Moody and treat him. Snape and I went down to the Quidditch field where we found Fudge standing a little way away from the field, looking stricken. Snape talked to Fudge in a low voice that I couldn't hear. They exchanged words for a few minutes. Fudge wanted to summon a dementor for his own personal safety before going to talk to Crouch. Snape told him Dumbledore wouldn't like that. In the end Fudge won and within an hour there was a dementor on the grounds of Hogwarts. I followed, from a very long distance with my wand out just in case, as Snape, Fudge, and dementor went back to Moody's office.

I stayed outside the office, but no one had to tell me what happened. Despite McGonagall's protestations the dementor and Fudge had been let in, but before Fudge could question Barty Crouch the dementor had swooped down on him and sucked his soul out through his mouth.

I followed as they, very loudly, made their way towards the Hospital Wing looking for Dumbledore. Snape was following though he was being very quiet.

"His fate is regrettable, but all the same, Minerva-" Fudge said loudly.

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled McGonagall, "When Dumbledore finds out-"

They burst into the hospital wing where a number of ill people were resting, including Harry Potter with his friends around him.

"Where is Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of a red-haired woman who had to be the Weasley's mother.

"He's not here," she said angrily, "This is a Hospital wing, minister, don't you think you'd do better to-"

The door opened and in walked Dumbledore, looking rather angry. I moved to Snape's side to avoid being trodden upon and I felt him discreetly take my hand again, squeezing it reassuringly.

"What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you- I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch-"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked, "The Minister has seen to that."

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question," Snape said in a low voice that commanded silence in the room, "He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him to the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch-"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall interrupted, "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but-"

_Strange how she can manage to sound like a three-year-old kid, _I thought weakly.

"_Who, Minerva?_"

_Yes. She sounds like a child tattling on Fudge. A suck-up._

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

"By all accounts he is no loss!" said Fudge, "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths!"

"But now he cannot give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, staring hard at Fudge, "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."

"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" protested Fudge, "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions."

"Lord Voldemort _was _giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, "Those people's deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."

Fudge looked like someone had hit him in the face with a frying pan. Dazed, he stared back at Dumbledore unbelievingly.

"You-Know-Who…returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore…"

"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort- learning of his continued existence form Bertha Jorkins- went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."

_Why does he keep saying the name? _I asked Snape.

"_Dumbledore is a very powerful wizard…the only wizard whom the Dark Lord ever feared._"

_I never heard anyone use the Dark Lord's name before tonight…I always thought it was a bit stupid to be afraid of a name._

But Snape was ignoring me again.

**Chapter 71**

"I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight," Dumbledore was saying to Fudge, shaking his head.

"You are- er- prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?" fudge replied with a curious smile. There was a silence which was broken by the growling of a large black dog at the foot of Potter's bed.

"Certainly, I believe Harry," said Dumbledore, eyes blazing, "I heard Crouch's confession and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Berth Jorkins disappeared last summer."

"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who…well…"

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," said Potter quietly. Many people jumped slightly. They hadn't realized he was awake. Fudge reddened slightly, but an obstinate and defiant look came over his face.

"And if I have?" he asked, looking at Dumbledore, "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place-"

"I assume you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" said Dumbledore coolly.

"You admit he's been having these pains, then?" said Fudge quickly, "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly- hallucinations?"

"Listen to me, Cornelius," said Dumbledore taking a step towards Fudge, "Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."

"You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before…"

"Look I saw Voldemort come back!" Potter shouted, "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy-"

Snape made a sudden, surprised movement in which he let go of my hand. Potter's eyes strayed to him, but Snape was looking at Fudge.

"Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, clearly insulted, "A very old family- donations to excellent causes-"

"Macnair!" Potter continued.

"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"

"Avery- Nott- Crabbe- Goyle-"

"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago! You could have found those names in old reports of the trails! For heaven's sake Dumbledore- the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too- his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them- the boy can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?" Fudge declared.

_Well that's insulting, _I thought gloomily, _not all Parselmouths are devious._

"_You're a Parselmouth and you're sneaking around wearing a Disillusionment Charm. Doesn't that make you devious?_" Snape replied in my head.

_No, not at all. Did you notice that the names of the Death Eaters all seem to be the fathers of Slytherin boys?_

"_I can't talk to you about that,_" he replied, looking hesitant.

_Were either of my parents Death Eaters?_

"…_no…_"

I could tell it was the truth, but there was something he wasn't telling me. I didn't have the chance to ask him because he pulled back from my mind and continued listening to the conversation.

"Voldemort has returned," said Dumbledore, "If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban form the control of the dementors-"

"Preposterous!" shouted Fudge, "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of the office for even suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"

"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them! They will not remain loyal to you, fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!" Dumbledore retorted.

_My head hurts, _I thought as I leaned my head against Snape's shoulder. He seemed faintly surprised.

"_Probably you should be paying attention. If you have questions…_"

_I stopped caring about this as soon as they started screaming. I think I get the general idea. Fudge is an… idiot who doesn't want to put people into a panic. Dumbledore is trying to keep the Dark Lord from killing everyone again._

"_I think I should help…_"

_By doing what?_

"_Hold on…_"

"He just can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…" Fudge was pleading with Dumbledore. Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, yanking up his sleeve as he went. He showed the mark to Fudge who recoiled visibly.

"There," said Snape harshly, "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one from another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. The mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Fudge took a few steps back from Snape, clearly not listening to a word he said. He stared at the Mark on Snape's arm, utterly repelled, until Snape jerked his sleeve back down and walked over to me.

"I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry," Fudge said shortly.

_Sorry, but I think you made it worse, _I said to Snape, feeling bad for him. I desperately wanted to embrace him, but held back. I also kept that particular thought and emotion blocked so I didn't have to hear any snide remarks.

The Minister left the room shortly and Dumbledore turned to face the group around Potter's bed.

"There is work to be done," he said, "Molly…am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"

"Of course you can," replied Mrs. Weasley, "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry al these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."

"Then I need to send a message to Arthur. All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius," said Dumbledore.

"I'll go to Dad," said one of the boys, standing up, "I'll go now."

"Excellent. Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry-"

"Leave it to me," the boy said, leaving the room.

"Minerva," said Dumbledore, turning to McGonagall, "I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also- if she will consent to come- Madame Maxime."

McGonagall left without another word.

"Poppy," said Dumbledore to Madam Pomfrey, "would you be very kind to go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."

"Very- very well," she said, looking startled, then she left as well.

**Chapter 72**

Dumbledore made sure the door was closed securely before turning back to the others.

"And now," he said, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius…if you could resume your usual form."

The huge black dog at the end of the bed looked up at Dumbledore and the next moment turned into Sirius Black. Mrs. Weasley shrieked and leapt up.

"Sirius Black!" she screamed, pointing at him.

"Mum, shut up!" Ron yelled, "It's okay."

Snape was staring at one of his childhood enemies with a mixture of loathing, anger, and horror. Sirius mirrored the look.

"Him!" Snape snarled, "What is he doing here?"

"He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."

I barely suppressed a snort. What Dumbledore was asking was damn near impossible…like asking the sun to stop shining during summer.

"I will settle, in the short term," continued Dumbledore, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us."

Very slowly Sirius and Snape took a step towards each other, shook hands, and quickly let go.

"That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping between them, "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher- the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."

As soon as Black said good-bye to Potter, turned back into a dog, and left, Dumbledore turned to Snape. He had turned paler than usual, as if he knew what was coming.

"Severus," Dumbledore said to him, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready…if you are prepared…"

"I am," said Snape, his black eyes glittering oddly.

"Then good luck," Dumbledore replied, watching with a trace of apprehension as Snape left the hospital wing and I scurried after him.

"Wait a minute," I said, grabbing his arm, "what is it that you have to do?"

"I think you know," he replied quietly.

"But…you don't mean…not to _him_?" I asked, biting my lip anxiously.

"Yes," he said. He tapped me on the head with his wand and lifted the Disillusionment Charm so he could better talk to me.

"But you said that he…hurts people who betray him. Do you have to go?"

I couldn't do anything to mask the anxiety and distress on my face and he noticed it. His entire demeanor changed.

"Yes, Casper, I have to go," he said softly, putting a hand on my shoulder, "And you _cannot _follow me. Promise?"

"Why should I promise you anything?" I mumbled, turning my face away and brushing his hand off my shoulder.

"What is it that you want from me?" he asked in a low voice, "what would make you promise to stay here?"

I thought about it for a moment and then smiled wryly.

"Let me call you Severus instead of Snape," I said, meeting his eyes. He made a noise as if he thought this was the stupidest thing in the world for me to ask for.

"Alright, then, but you have to stay here," he said firmly, "and don't let any of the other students catch you calling me that."

"Right," I said seriously, "and you just try not to get yourself killed."

"I'll try," he said sardonically. Without another word he swept down the staircase, leaving me alone in the corridor. I slumped against the wall miserably.

"He'll be back soon," said a voice. I turned to see that Dumbledore had come out of the hospital wing. I didn't say anything, merely wondered if he knew I had been there in the room.

"He'll probably be back by morning," he continued, oblivious to my silence, "You should go and get some sleep."

"Like I'm going to be able to sleep," I retorted quietly, but I went down the staircase.

I went down to the dungeons, but instead of going to the common room I went to his office. It was empty, of course, and locked but I knew the spell to break the lock. I closed the door behind me and lit a fire in the fireplace. The shadows played eerily off the surfaces of the jars of various slimy things. I sat down in his chair and put my head down on my arms, waiting for him to return.

I didn't fall asleep exactly. I was too miserable and anxious to do that. I hoped and wished with every fiber of my being that the Dark Lord would have mercy on him and not kill him. I wondered what Snape would tell him- that he had been biding his time at Hogwarts? That he was really the Dark Lord's spy? But if I could tell the acute difference between truth and lies so probably could the Dark Lord.

I had my head on the desk and my eyes were closed. It had to be nearing daylight hours. I heard footsteps coming slowly along the corridor and then the door opened slowly. I lifted my head, utterly relieved to see him alive.

"Severus," I said on an exhale. He looked pale and tired, like Amy after she had first had Dylan, but without the faint happiness. I got up from his seat and he walked in and sat down. I stared at him. I was practically bursting with questions.

"Are you alright?" I asked uncertainly.

"I'll live," he replied shortly, "…but I can't answer any of your questions about what happened."

"I can live with that," I said quickly, "Have you already been to see Dumbledore?"

"Yes."

"Then I think I can go to sleep now."

"That is a wonderful idea. Good night, Casper," he said with a sigh.

"Goodnight….Severus," I said with a faint smile.

**Chapter 73**

The End-of-the-Year feast took place as usual, but with some minute changes. The usual decorations had been replaced with black drapes in honor of Cedric Diggory. The crowd was less noisy than usual and when Dumbledore stood up to address the school everyone fell silent.

"The end of another year," he said, looking around at the tables, "There is much I would like to say to you all tonight but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

Everyone stood up with their goblets raised, myself included, and we all said 'Cedric Diggory' in a loud, low voice. Then we sat back down.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff House," Dumbledore went on, "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about. Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

A panicked whispered spread through the hall and people stared at Dumbledore in horror and disbelief.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this," Dumbledore continued, "It is possible some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so- either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory. There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death. I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

A few people glanced at Potter before looking back up at Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort. He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this I honor him."

Dumbledore raised his goblet in Potter's direction. Most of the people in the hall raised their goblets to him. So did I. Draco stayed in his seat, so did many of the other Slytherins. When everyone was seated Dumbledore spoke again.

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened- of Lord Voldemort's return- such ties are more important than ever before. Every guest in this Hall will be welcomed back here and time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again- in light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and anmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

"It is my belief- and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken- that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst. Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

Later that evening I found myself in Snape's office. He had regained his usual persona since his return.

"How will I know what's going on if I'm staying with Anthony and Amy?" I asked him.

"You need to go where you will be safe. I'll still be coming to take you to get your school things. You don't need to worry about what's going on in the wizarding world," He replied, "and be careful what you put into letters. It is very possible that our owls will be intercepted."

"By who- The Ministry or the Dark Lord?"

"That's the big question, isn't it? Casper, don't worry about it. I'll try my best to keep you informed. I may pop in from time to time to check on you and to fill you in best I can. It is important for you to get back to your family. It's probably best if you tell them about the Dark Lord…whether they'll believe you or not is an entirely different story, considering your grandmother works for the Ministry."

"I doubt they'll understand it. They're only Muggles after all," I said gloomily.

"Oh, I think they'll understand better than you expect."

The next day my trunk was packed and Gabriel was safely in his cage. Jen met me in the entrance hall with Aaron in his cage, dragging her trunk behind her.

"Some year, huh?" she said as we climbed into a horseless carriage to take us to the train station.

"Yep. Try to keep in touch this summer, okay? I need to know what's going on in the wizarding world," I replied.

"I'll write every day if I can," she promised.

We got off the train a few hours later to find Anthony, Amy, and Dylan waiting for me. I couldn't help but notice they were all wearing new clothes and looked healthier than normal.

"Hey, Casper," Anthony said, embracing me.

"Anthony! You're not still angry at me?" I asked anxiously.

"No, not at all. I was just under a lot of stress, I suppose. Since I got promoted things haven't been so bad. We've got a lot of extra money we didn't have before," he replied brightly.

"Yeah, we've even been taking Dylan to speech therapy," Amy added, looking at him fondly. I crouched down so that I was level with Dylan.

"Hey there, Dylan," I said, smiling.

"Hey," he replied, smiling shyly. I noticed he had something in his hand.

"What's that in your hand?" I asked him. His grin turned mischievous and he held out his hand for me to see. It was a small, green lizard.

"He seems to attract them and when he picks them up he won't put them down. He starts to scream if Anthony or I tries to take it from him," Amy explained, "It's one of the only words he knows."

"Lizard!" Dylan said happily.

"Wow. Can I see?" I asked, extending my hand. Dylan looked at me for a moment before dropping the lizard into my hand. It was small and a little timid looking, but completely unharmed. He was a bright green color and his small eyes were yellow.

"Hey, he gave it to you," Anthony said, "He never gave it to either of us. Now that you're home you can take them away from him."

"Alright, but that's not going to stop him from picking them up," I said with a shrug. I was intensely interested in the lizard. It seemed abnormally small and almost cute. I decided that, as soon as I got home, I would put it in a jar and keep it, at least for a little while.


	5. Book 5

_1 month later…_

**Chapter 74**

It was early in August and I was laying on my bed in my room. The shelf on the wall held 8 small glass jars with lizards in them. I also had one on my bedside table. I had taken lizards from Dylan; sometimes I would let them go. Others I would keep because they were interesting to me. The jar on my bed was open and the little bright green lizard whom I had taken from Dylan in the train station was climbing out. I had named him Raphael and he was one of my favorites, though he was quite plain. I held my hand out and he crawled onto the palm of my hand.

I'd just received a letter from Jen. She told me that there had been no sign of the Dark Lord in the wizarding world. She also sent me a copy of the _Daily Prophet _who seemed to agree with the Minister in the aspect that Dumbledore and Potter were both loony. I didn't know what to think about this and I was talking to Raphael, mostly just to have something to talk to without feeling like an idiot. Lizards aren't very judgmental.

"Well, I think Fudge is an idiot. I know the Dark Lord is back. I saw the Mark burn on Severus' arm. Hell, I made it stop burning. How d'you think I managed to do that?" I asked Raphael. He didn't respond.

"Yeah, I dunno either. Still, there haven't been any reports of anything suspicious lately. No deaths or anything like that. The Dark Lord must be planning something big. He's quite good at that, from what I understand. Sure, I know he's evil, but he's bloody brilliant, too. It's not wrong for me to think that is it?"

The lizard crawled over my hand with his tiny little feet.

"No, of course not. Still it's probably better if I keep my mouth shut about my opinions like I always do. What do you think?" I inquired of the lizard.

"I think you've gone nutty," said a voice from the doorway. It was Snape. I jumped to my feet, nearly squashing Raphael in the process, and embraced him. He stiffened and didn't move for nearly two minutes while I continued to hug him.

"Alright, let go," he said in an irritable but bemused voice. I let go and took a step back.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly.

"Sure. Who were you talking to?" He asked, looking around the room. I held out my hand and showed him the unfazed lizard.

"This is Raphael," I said as I put the lizard back in the jar.

"Has your room always been full of lizards or is this a recent acquirement?" He inquired as he walked around, looking at the other lizards.

"A recent acquirement," I replied, sitting back down on the bed, "Dylan picks them up and brings them to me. I think they're interesting."

"Can you talk to them in Parseltongue?"

"Yes, but they can't talk back. They can obey though. Watch-…_Come,_" I said to Raphael in Parseltongue. The lizard crawled out of his jar and over onto my hand.

"How unusual," Snape said, watching as the other lizards tried to climb out of their jars but were stopped by the lids.

"Mm. So, what are you doing here, Severus?" I asked him. He didn't even acknowledge my use of his first name. I secretly wished I could make him smile like Lily when she had used his first name.

"Taking you to Diagon Alley. Dementors were spotted not far from here, dementors that are outside of the Ministry control. We thought it would be safer for you to stay in a room in Diagon Alley than to stay here. Potter is already facing a disciplinary hearing due to using a Patronus Charm to chase the dementors away. I'd prefer if you didn't have to suffer the same fate," he replied.

"Wait. I can't go anywhere until Anthony and Amy get back," I said with a frown.

"Where are they?"

"Taking Dylan to his speech therapist."

"Why didn't you go?"

"Because I don't want to listen to some jerk-off make the 'a' sound for an hour while he stares at me like an idiot," I retorted. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Besides," I added quickly, "I have to pack my things and get dressed, too."

"Fine. I'll wait downstairs," he said, turning and walking down the stairs. The moment he was gone I got dressed in clean new clothes. Amy and I had gone shopping when I got back from Hogwarts so I now had a load of Muggle clothes that fit me. I pulled on blue jeans and a pair of awesome boots that I had gotten, along with a clean shirt. I ran a brush through my hair and started rummaging for books and other school supplies.

A few minutes later Snape came back upstairs.

"What's taking so long?" he asked me.

"It's slow packing without magic. Plus I didn't exactly have any warning so I have to find all my stuff," I said as I shoved my copy of _Hogwarts, a history _into my trunk which was open on my bed.

"Well your cat is downstairs sleeping on the back of the couch. Does that help?"

"A little bit. Do you see my dragon hide gloves anywhere?" I asked as I stuck my head beneath my bed to look for any missed items.

"No. What's this?"

I sneezed loudly and pulled my head back out from underneath the dusty bed.

"What is what?" I inquired. He had a piece of parchment in his hand and he showed it to me.

"Do you keep all my notes?" he asked with a smirk. I snatched it from him, blushing furiously.

"No! I must've tossed it on the floor or something after reading it," I retorted.

"That I can believe. Your room looks like it hasn't been cleaned since last year," he replied. I scoffed at him.

"So, what have you been doing?" I asked casually, changing the subject.

"Stuff that I can't talk about. Not unless you wanted to join the Order of the Phoenix."

"What's the Order of the Phoenix?" I asked, slightly bewildered.

"A secret organization, founded by Dumbledore of course. It's composed mostly of the people who fought against the Dark Lord last time. There are a few new recruits, of course," He replied.

"What do they do? If the Dark Lord hasn't been doing anything what's the point of the Order?"

"A number of them are trying to convince other people he's returned-"

"I imagine that's difficult with the crap Fudge is spreading," I said, nodding to the copy of the Daily Prophet on my bed.

"Yes, but there are some who are faithful to Dumbledore. Many of them are following known Death Eaters. The rest are guarding-…well, I can't tell you anymore than that," he said hastily. I was about to ask something when I heard the door downstairs open.

"That'll be Anthony and Amy," I said automatically.

"Right. This should only take a moment to explain if you've told them about the Dark Lord's return."

"Actually, Severus, I…haven't exactly told them," I mumbled.

"What? Honestly, Casper, do you not listen to a word I say?"

I didn't respond, merely averted his eyes.

"Alright. No harm done. I can explain it to them. Come on," he said, forcing his voice to be calm.

Fifteen minutes later I found myself sitting on the couch beside Severus, holding Dylan in my lap while Anthony and Amy listened intently to what had happened.

"Casper, how could you fail to tell us something so important?" Anthony asked, his face unusually pale.

"How was I supposed to know you'd understand?" I grumbled, "You're only Muggles, after all."

"I'm not a Muggle, you twit, I'm a Squib," Anthony retorted, "My mother was a Squib as well. Your mother and grandmother were both witches. That's why they, like you, have silver eyes. Every person in the Addams family who has silver eyes has magic."

I gaped at him in disbelief.

"You're…a Squib? Never thought this was worth mentioning before, did you?"

"It's different now. This changes everything…doesn't it?" Anthony asked, looking questioningly at Snape who hesitated.

"I'm not Dumbledore," he said finally, "There are some questions I cannot answer, but I will try my best."

Anthony, Amy, and Snape all looked at me.

"Casper, why don't you take Dylan upstairs while we talk to Professor Snape?" Amy suggested quietly.

"But-" I began.

"Casper, go," Snape said shortly. I got to my feet.

"Yes sir," I said meekly and headed for the stairs. When we got to the top of the stairs, however, I set Dylan down and we listened to what was being said. Well, I listened. Mostly Dylan just played with his most recently acquired lizard.

**Chapter 75**

"As far as I know, Dumbledore would prefer for the secret to remain…secret," Snape said to my cousins.

"Alright, so we don't tell her. Shouldn't we at least take her someplace else? Her Grandmother's house, perhaps?" Anthony asked him.

"No. I do not think that it would be a good idea for her to stay with Connie Addams. Casper hates her, for one thing, and Connie is frightened of her. I think it would be best if Casper stays in a room in Diagon Alley until school starts back. Hogwarts is, of course, the safest place for her," He replied smoothly.

"What about us? And Dylan?" Amy asked in a slightly fearful voice.

"I think that you will be safe if she is not with you. As of now they're not aware of her. If the time comes we will move you to a safer place," Snape answered.

"Are you sure we shouldn't-"

"Wait a moment," Snape said. There was a silence and then I felt him prod my mind. I instinctively blocked him.

"Casper, stop eavesdropping!" Snape said loudly in an irritable voice. I almost said 'make me' but decided not to push my luck. I picked up Dylan and scurried into my room, shutting the door behind me.

I wanted desperately to know what was being said downstairs, even if I hadn't understood a lot of it. What was it Dumbledore didn't want them to tell me? Why did I need to be in a safe place? Why was my family safer if I wasn't there? Who wasn't aware of me? And since when did Anthony know anything about the wizarding world?

Dylan walked around my room. He pointed at each one of the jars and said 'lizards' in his quiet, happy voice. So far I had only heard him use four words; lizard, no, bye-bye, and mom. Guess the speech therapy wasn't exactly paying off. Dylan was reaching for one of the jars on the shelf, but I wasn't worried about it. There was no possible way for him to reach the shelf unless he sprouted wings and flew. Suddenly I spotted my dragon hide gloves, sitting on top of my stereo. I grabbed the gloves and flopped back down on my bed.

"Got lizard," Dylan said in a triumphant voice. The 'got' was a new word and when I looked up I was startled to see he had one of the jars in his hand and had the lid off. One lizard was sitting on top of his head and the other that had been in the jar was crawling on his back. He also had his own lizard in his hand.

"Hey! How did you-?" I broke off thinking of what Anthony had said a moment ago. _Every person in the Addams family who has silver eyes has magic…could that mean?_

"Dylan," I said quietly, "I think you have magic."

"Got lizard," he said, smiling.

"How did you get lizard?" I asked him. He didn't reply, but he continued to smile. I didn't think he was slow- I knew he understood a lot of things. He just didn't like to respond. Either that or he couldn't respond.

There was a soft knock on my bedroom door and I quickly took the jar from Dylan.

"Come in," I said quietly. It was Snape. He watched as I gathered the lizards off of Dylan and put them back in the jar. I put the jar on the shelf.

"You should probably put your lizards outside," Snape said to me.

"Lizard no bye-bye," Dylan said suddenly.

"Hey! He talks now," Snape said, sounding surprised.

"A little bit," I said with a shrug, "Dylan I have to put the lizards outside. I have to go away for a while, okay?"

Dylan smiled suddenly and a dreamy look came over his face. He walked out of my room and into his bedroom next to mine. I frowned slightly.

"I guess he doesn't care about the lizards anymore," I said a little bewildered. Snape helped as I gathered all the jars and took them outside to the little space of garden. I unscrewed all the lids and dumped the lizards out, feeling slightly remorseful.

After letting the lizards go I went upstairs to finish packing. I found Gabriel and put him in his cat carrier and took him and my trunk downstairs. Snape and Anthony were talking in whispered voices and they stopped when I came down.

"Are you ready to go?" Snape asked.

"Er, yeah. Will we be flying or traveling by Floo Powder?" I inquired.

"Flying. The Floo network is monitored by the Ministry of Magic and they're not putting through too many requests made by Dumbledore or anyone with affiliation to Dumbledore," He replied, "But I can send your stuff ahead to the Leaky Cauldron. I'm afraid that is where you'll be staying."

He pulled out his wand and tapped first the trunk and then Gabriel's cat carrier both of which disappeared instantly.

I said good-bye to Anthony, Amy, and Dylan and then Snape and I walked outside. We waited until the street was clear of Muggles before flying into the sky above the clouds so we couldn't be seen. I was shivering slightly and beginning to wish I had worn a jacket.

"What're you shivering for?" Snape asked, "It's not that cold."

"It always feels cold to me, nowadays. Especially my hands," I said, rubbing my hands together, "So, has Dumbledore found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher yet?"

"No, not yet, but the Ministry is trying to send one of their people over. A woman by the name of Dolores Umbridge," he replied, accepting the change of subject with no more than a curious look.

"Is she any good?"

"I have no idea, but let's just say she makes Connie look dull," he said shortly, "Like a Cheering Charm gone horribly wrong."

"Oh great," I mumbled, "Well maybe Dumbledore will find someone else…or just give you the job."

He smirked slightly and we continued on towards London.

**Chapter 76**

We began our descent as the sun was setting. Stars had begun to dot the sky and the air was a little bit cooler. We landed outside the Leaky Cauldron and walked in to its inviting warmth. The barkeeper, Tom, was waiting for us.

"Your things are already up in room 11, Miss Addams," he said with a smile, "Hope you don't mind that I let your cat out of his cage."

"Of course. Gabriel loves his freedom," I said, faintly surprised that this man knew my name.

"Very well. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask," Tom said, walking back towards the bar.

"Come along, Casper, I'll show you to your room," Snape said, nodding towards the staircase. I followed him up the stairs and down the hallway where the number '11' was hung in big brass numbers. Snape opened the door for me to reveal a comfortable looking bed, oak furniture that had been recently polished, and a crackling fire. Curled up on top of the bedspread was Gabriel, looking as at home as he possibly could.

"Not bad," I remarked walking in and looking around. My trunk of things was sitting at the foot of my bed. Gabriel's cat carrier was in the corner. Someone had also put out a small saucer of cat food which was half-eaten.

"Right. I've got to get back to Hogwarts," Snape said, checking his watch.

"Why?"

"I've got things to do. I have yet to pick this years Prefects from the fifth years and-"

"You better not pick me."

"I won't pick you. I know you wouldn't want to be a Prefect. You don't like to be recognized for your intellectualism," he replied, "Now, just try to stick around Diagon Alley as much as possible, okay?"

"Sure thing," I said, absently petting Gabriel's head.

"And Casper? Try to listen to me this time."

When he was gone I shut the door and sank down on the bed. Gabriel was purring and watching me with his yellow eyes. I kicked off my shoes and stretched out on the bed. I couldn't wait to explore Diagon Alley tomorrow.

I'd never had such free range before. I woke up as it was nearing noon the next day and, after eating lunch in the Leaky Cauldron, I spent the afternoon in the various shops along Diagon Alley. My first stop was Gringott's where I got out some money to spend. Then I went to a bunch of shops I'd never been in before. I didn't spend very much since I would still have to buy my schoolbooks whenever the letter came.

I received a letter the next day, but it wasn't from the school. It was from Jen. I had told her that I was staying at the Leaky Cauldron and she suggested that we meet next Wednesday to get our school supplies and then she would stay with me until September 1st. I sent her a reply immediately agreeing.

On Monday the owl came bearing my letter from Hogwarts and my booklist which consisted of only two new books: _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, _by Miranda Goshawk and _Defensive Magical Theory, _by Wilbert Slinkhard. I vaguely wondered if Dumbledore had agreed to let the Umbridge woman teach. It certainly seemed so considering that _defensive Magical Theory _by Wilbert Slinkhard was a book written for first-years. I decided I was going to wait until Jen came to go and get my school things, but that didn't stop me from going to have an ice cream at the little shop on the corner. As I walked around, eating my ice cream, I caught sight of Knockturn Alley. I'd been too antsy to go down there when I was eleven, but now…

I finished up my ice cream and turned off Diagon Alley. There wasn't much light in Knockturn Alley and the air was rather foul-smelling. There was a number of nasty-looking witches and wizards and I suddenly felt extremely out of place. Eager to get off the street I went into a small shop called _Borgin and Burkes. _There were a number of odd things, mostly covered in dust, on shelves. One of them was a glass eye. I also saw an opal necklace that looked rather magnificent. There was a faded sign beside it that said _Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed- Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date. _Shuddering slightly I left the shop and hurried towards the bright, clean air of Diagon Alley.

Wednesday morning I awoke, excited. I got dressed quickly and went downstairs to eat breakfast and wait for Jen to arrive. She walked in the front door at about 11:00 dragging her trunk behind her and holding Aaron the owl's cage in her other hand.

"Hey, Casper," she said brightly as I walked over to her.

"Hey Jen. Where's your mum?"

"She was in a hurry," she replied with a shrug, "I barely know what she does half the time. Help me take my stuff up to your room?"

"Sure," I said, taking Aaron from her and grabbing the other end of the trunk. We got the trunk up the stairs with a little difficulty. I put Aaron's cage on top of the wardrobe and Jen set her trunk in the corner of the room.

"Mum conjured up a sleeping bag for me," she said as she pulled a large, squishy, red sleeping bag out of her trunk, "that way we won't have to share a bed. I toss and turn a lot and I'd probably end up knocking the crap out of you."

She grinned at me as she rolled the sleeping bag out on the floor.

"It's just like the squishy purple ones that Dumbledore conjured up for the whole school when Sirius Black broke into the castle," She added, "I can't believe they never caught the guy."

"Yeah," I said with a forced laugh. Sirius Black was on our side, but that didn't stop me from disliking him. Probably because Snape didn't like him very much.

"So, d'you think we should go and get our school things now?" Jen asked me, pulling her list out of her trunk.

"Yeah, might as well get it out of the way," I replied, grabbing my own list from the bedside table, "Let's go to Flourish and Blotts first and get our books."

"Hey, you've got to get that Slinkhard book, too," she remarked, peering at my list, "I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is that assigned us the same book?"

"Severus said it might be some lady from the Ministry of Magic," I said casually as we walked out the door. She stopped dead in her tracks, causing me to crash into her. She whirled around.

"He let's you call him Severus?" she demanded. I realized my mistake and felt the urge to slap myself in the head.

"Yeah, we have an agreement. Don't make a big deal out of it and don't say anything to anyone else. _Please_," I said, gritting my teeth.

"No way! What sort of agreement did you have to make for him to let you call him by his first name?" she asked as we continued to walk.

"I can't tell you. It's secret," I said evasively, "…and it's complicated."

"I'll bet," she said, smirking.

"Oh don't be like that again," I said, scowling.

"You like Severus. You like Severus. You like Severus. You like Severus," she said in a taunting voice, "You like-"

She broke of suddenly because at the foot of the stairs stood Snape. He did not look amused. She turned a brilliant shade of red, turned on her heel, and fled back up the stairs. I felt my cheeks turn faintly pink, but thought perhaps he couldn't see because I was standing in the shadow.

"How amusing," he said with a faint smirk, "What's she doing here?"

"We were going to get our school supplies. She's going to stay here with me until the train comes," I replied, walking down the stairs to meet him.

"I see."

"And what are you doing here? No Top Secrets missions to go on?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I came here to check on you. Make sure you're getting on alright. Didn't expect your friend to be here. I doubt she'll be able to look me in the eye from now on."

"I'm fine, thanks. You can leave now," I said coolly.

"Actually I've got to visit the Apothecary to replenish my store of powdered moonstone and unicorn hair if I'm lucky enough to find any," he replied.

"Powdered moonstone? Someone brewing the Draught of Peace?"

He looked faintly surprised that I knew what it was used for.

"Yes, actually. It's one of the potions the fifth years will be brewing," he replied.

"Alright. If you let me go convince Jen that you're not going to hex her we can go to the Apothecary with you," I said with a faint smile.

"I'll wait here," he said with a nod.

**Chapter 77**

"Do we _have _to?" she asked, horrified when I told her we'd be accompanying Snape to the Apothecary.

"Yes," I said shortly, "He's not going to hex you or curse you."

"What if he tries to poison me?"

"He never _really _poisons people," I said, but I was pretty sure that was a lie, "Leastways not in front of me."

"…alright, I guess I'll go…but you so owe me for this, Casper," Jen said getting to her feet. I glanced at myself in the mirror and ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to straighten it. The mirror, which usually said negative things, was silent. I caught sight of Jen smirking at me and I quickly left the room, knowing she wouldn't dare say anything smart in front of Snape.

I walked alongside Snape down the cobbled street towards the Apothecary. Jen dragged her feet and followed us at a distance.

_She thinks you're going to poison her, _I informed Snape in my mind.

"_Maybe I will._"

_Oh shut up. You don't really poison people. Besides, you said yourself it was amusing. _

"_Oh it was,_" he replied and I was treated to an image forced inside my head of him watching Jen and I come down the stairs. I looked irritated and she looked triumphant.

_Stop that, _I retorted, blocking the image.

"_I take it that was only part of a continued conversation?_"

_A conversation which I don't care to repeat, _I thought, blushing again.

"_That's why you have to be careful. I assume you used my first name in context?_"

_A mistake I won't make again,_ I thought grimly.

We walked into the dimly lit Apothecary and I inhaled deeply. It was one of my favorite shops, mostly because it reminded me of the dungeon classroom in which I spent most of my time. Jen lingered by a jar of spiders, trying to avoid Snape at all costs. I was grinning slightly as I peered into the various containers of revolting things. I paused when I came to the bezoars.

"Why would a goat swallow a stone?" I asked Snape curiously. He was at a loss for words and didn't respond. Perhaps he didn't know. I recalled my very first Potions lesson when Snape had tortured Potter, asking him questions that I knew the answer to. One of the questions had been where to find a bezoar. I then recalled his speech which had made me shudder when I first heard it: _I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…_

I shivered with delight as I moved from the bezoars to the caterpillars. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Snape smiling slightly. He had been listening to my thoughts again.

We left the Apothecary a little while later and Snape said that he had to get back to Hogwarts.

"Alright then. See you on September first," I said with a faint smile.

"Right."

He Disapparated with a faint pop leaving Jen and I alone on the cobbled street.

"I thought he'd never leave," she said, exhaling, "honestly, I don't know what you see in him."

I didn't even respond to that.

"Let's go get our books," I said with a sigh.

"Alright. Besides the Defense Against the Dark Arts book, I need…_the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4_," she said consulting her list.

"Nonsense, I'll give you my old copy," I said effectively.

"Really? Great. That'll save me some money."

We returned to the Leaky Cauldron after getting our books and things and I stretched out on my bed to browse through my copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5. _After that I looked at _Defensive Magical Theory, _by Wilbert Slinkhard, which turned out to be rubbish.

"What a load of dung," I said irritably, tossing the book into my trunk, "It doesn't say a damned thing about using defensive spells. Maybe the teacher is going to teach us herself, like Moody did."

"Oh, what was it you were saying that Snape told you about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Jen asked without the faintest hint of a smirk.

"Er…oh yeah, that the Ministry was trying to get a witch of their own that teaching position. He made the point of saying that he got the impression of her being the result of a Cheering Charm gone wrong," I replied darkly.

"Oh great. She's probably some old witch who dresses in bright colors and smiles a lot. She'll be worse that Lockhart," she retorted bleakly.

"As long as she doesn't dress up dwarves like cupids to deliver singing Valentines, I'll have no problem with her," I said, recalling that dreadful Valentine's Day in my second year.

"You're just sour because of your 'secret Valentine'," Jen replied, smirking. I didn't respond to that under the pretense of rummaging around in my trunk for something. I did manage to find _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4, _which I tossed to her.

"Here. Learn something useful," I said coolly.

September 1st came quickly and Jen and I got into a Muggle taxi with our trunks as well as Gabriel and Aaron. When we got to the train station we casually went through the barrier when no one was looking. Amidst the noisy crowd of people and animals we managed to get all of our things onto the train and into a compartment before the train departed. Jen went off to have a talk with one of her friends from her own grade and returned shortly after the trolley had come.

"Guess who's the new Slytherin Prefects?" she said, snagging one of my licorice wands.

"Who?" I asked, taking a bite of Chocolate Frog.

"Draco and-"

I choked on a bit of frog.

"Snape picked _Draco _for a Prefect?" I asked, gaping at her.

"Apparently. And that other girl, the one that looks like a bulldog- Pansy Parkinson," she added. I shook my head in silent disbelief.

"Who are the Prefects for Gryffindor, do you know?"

"Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley."

"Not Harry Potter?" I asked curiously.

"Nope. Guess they didn't think he was up to it. You've read the _Prophet. _Having funny turns all over the place- _and _he's a Parselmouth!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"What's so bad about being a Parselmouth?" I asked quietly.

"Oh, sorry, Casper, I forgot you are-"

"Never mind," I said quickly.

As the train pulled to a stop and we got off Jen and I started towards the carriages, but I paused. Hagrid wasn't holding the lantern and calling the first years- it was the Professor Grubbly-Plank woman who had taken over his classes for a while last year.

"Do you think he finally quit after everyone found out about his mum being a giant?" I asked Jen. She was about to respond when a voice from behind me made me jump.

"No, he hasn't quit. He's been out playing with giants from what I hear," said Draco in his usual drawling voice. I didn't respond, due to the fact that I hadn't spoken to him since the previous Christmas when he had cornered me after the Yule Ball.

"Giants?" Jen asked, intrigued, "Where'd you hear that?"

"Oh, you know…I have my sources," he said with a grin before walking off to find Crabbe and Goyle.

"His dad, no doubt," I said coolly. We got into an unoccupied carriage and made our way to the castle and the feast that would soon await us.

**Chapter 78**

The Sorting started almost immediately and, like every year, I ignored it. My eyes traveled along the staff table and paused momentarily on Snape. He smirked faintly at me before turning his eyes back to the Sorting Hat.

"Who do you reckon that is?" Jen asked, nodding to a witch to the left of Dumbledore. It was a squat, short witch with curly brown hair. She wore a vivid pink cardigan and a pink headband. Her face resembled a toad.

"That must be the woman Snape was telling me about. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," I murmured.

"A teacher? The only way she could defend herself against the Dark Arts is by revolting it with her pink cardigan," Jen retorted in a low voice. I suppressed a snort of laughter. The Sorting Hat finished its song with something that alerted even me.

_But this year I'll go further_

_Listen closely to my song:_

_Though condemned I am to split you_

_Still I worry that it's wrong,_

_Though I must fulfill my duty_

_And must quarter every year_

_Still I wonder whether sorting_

_May not bring the end I fear._

_Oh, know the perils, read the signs,_

_The warning history shows,_

_For our Hogwarts is in danger_

_From external, deadly foes_

_And we must unite inside her_

_Or we'll crumble from within_

_I have told you, I warned you…_

_Let the sorting now begin._

"What do you suppose that means?" Jen asked as we applauded the hat's song along with everyone else.

"Sounded like a warning to me," I replied with a frown.

"A warning about what?"

I shrugged my shoulders and motioned for her to be silent as the sorting began.

Finally, the sorting was over and Dumbledore stood up for a few words of welcome before the feast.

"To our newcomers, welcome!" he said with a beaming smile, "To our old hands- welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

"finally," I said, loading my plate down with food as the golden plates and goblets filled themselves.

"Still haven't lost your vivacious appetite, huh?" Jen asked as she also loaded down her plate with various foods.

"Nope, and I'm going to need it this year- I've got my O.W.L. exams," I replied through a mouthful of food.

"Oh yeah. Glad I'm not you," she said cheerfully.

"Don't be. You'll have mounds of homework this year, too. I'll bet you 5 Galleons that McGonagall starts out your first class with a speech about how important your O.W.L. exams are," I said with a grin.

"Great. Something to look forward to," she grumbled.

When the last of the pudding had been devoured and the golden plates had cleaned themselves once more Dumbledore got to his feet.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices. First years out to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students- and a few of our older students ought to know by now too," Dumbledore said with a pleasant smile, "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the 462 time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a faint applause during which Professor Umbridge beamed at everyone.

"Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-" Dumbledore continued but was interrupted as Professor Umbridge got to her feet with a quiet _"hem, hem."_

Almost all of the teachers, and most of the students, stared at her in astonishment. No one had ever interrupted Dumbledore during a speech before. Dumbledore sat down, however, and looked up with mild polite interest.

"Thank you, Headmaster," said Professor Umbridge, "for those kind words of welcome. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say. And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

No one that I could see looked particularly happy. They all looked taken aback.

"Oh honestly," Jen whispered fiercely, "We're not two years old."

"Are you kidding? I talk to Dylan with more intelligence than that," I muttered back.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends," Umbridge said, still beaming.

"I'm getting the urge to curse her," Jen murmured to me, "Any chance you can ask _Severus _to poison her?"

"Shut up," I snapped quietly, mostly because I didn't want to hear her go on about me and Snape.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to this noble profession of teaching.

"Every Headmaster and Headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation. Because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited," Umbridge finished. She sat down to a scattered applause and Dumbledore stood up and resumed his talking.

"Well, that didn't sound too good," I said to Jen, ignoring Dumbledore's speech about Quidditch practices.

"What? I wasn't listening. It gave me a headache," she replied, looking up suddenly.

"I think things are going to change around here," I said slowly, "And I don't mean for the better."

"Oh that's nice. Well, looks like Dumbledore dismissed us," she said with a yawn, "I'm off to bed. Are you going to say goodnight to Snape?"

I glanced up to the staff table where Snape was making a quick getaway before Umbridge could engage him in a conversation.

"Yeah, see you in a bit," I said to Jen. She shrugged and followed the other Slytherins out of the hall. I walked up to the High Table and met Snape there.

"Hello, Casper. What are you doing?" he asked as I peered past him.

"I just wanted to get a better look at that Umbridge woman," I replied in an undertone.

"Why?" he asked when we were safely out of the hall.

"I've never seen one person wearing so much pink before," I said, disgusted, "I wonder what her lessons will be like?"

"Can't be any worse than Lockhart's," he said bracingly.

"My sentiments exactly."

**Chapter 79**

The next morning our schedules were passed out I saw that the fifth-year Slytherins had Defense Against the Dark Arts first thing that morning. Although, to my pleasant surprise, we had double Potions right after that. I also had Divination, which was a drag, but also bound to be easy. With Professor Trelawney fawning over my Inner Eye I didn't have too much to worry about, except perhaps running out of ideas to predict horrible things.

The Slytherins all ambled into her classroom, all looking equally disgusted to see the smiling teacher wearing that wretched pink cardigan. I stared intently down at my fingernails which were, as always, painted black as I took a seat at the very back of the classroom.

"Good morning class!" she said in a cheery voice. A few people mumbled 'good morning' in response and I was not one of them.

"_That _won't do now, will it? I should like you all to try again, okay? Good morning, class!" she said loudly.

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge," we all said loudly, though mostly through gritted teeth.

"That wasn't so hard, now, was it?" she asked with a sweet smile, "Wands away and quills out, please."

As we all hastened to obey Professor Umbridge tapped the blackboard with her own wand. The words_ 'Defense Against the Dark Arts; A return to basic principles' _appeared.

"Now, your teaching in this subject has been very fragmented, hasn't it? The constant changing of teachers, most of whom do not follow any Ministry-approved curriculum, has resulted in your being far below the standard we should expect to see in your O.W.L. year. You will all be pleased to know that these problems are now to be rectified. We will follow a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."

She rapped the blackboard and a second message appeared:

'_Course Aims:_

_1. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic._

_2. Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can be legally used_

_3. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.'_

"Er, Professor? There's nothing up there about using Defensive Spells," I said before I could stop myself. A few people looked up, startled that I, quiet little Casper, had actually spoken out loud.

"Students will raise their hands in my classroom, Miss-?" she asked sweetly.

"Addams. Casper Addams," I replied.

"Well, Miss Addams I can't imagine why you would feel the need to use a defensive spell in this classroom," she said, still sounding sugary. She turned her back on me to ensure that the conversation was over.

"What about for our O.W.L. exams?" I asked, alarmed, "Surely we need to know how to use defensive spells for that."

"You will raise your hand, Miss Addams. Five points from Slytherin," she said, her voice losing its sugariness. I glanced around at my classmates who were all staring at me and didn't seem to care that I had lost us points. I saw this as incentive to continue my argument. I grudgingly raised my hand.

"What about our O.W.L. exams?" I repeated.

"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," Umbridge replied.

"How can we use them without practicing?!" I demanded angrily.

"Do _not _raise your voice in my classroom, Miss Addams," she said in a soft voice that didn't sound at all threatening. At least, not as threatening as Snape when _he _spoke in that tone of voice.

"I repeat," she said, "The Ministry thinks that as long as you have studied hard enough-"

"So the first time we're going to use magic is when the exams come, is it?" I said coldly.

"I think you could do with a detention, Miss Addams. This evening at five o'clock. My office. That will teach you to raise your hand, not your voice, in my classroom. Now, everyone open their books to chapter one and begin reading _silently._"

I left the classroom a short while later, fuming and scowling to myself. I had never gotten a detention before, and I wasn't particularly looking forward to it. I lined up outside of Snape's classroom with the others, thinking that at least I had a good 2 hours of Potion brewing to help clear my mind. Snape opened the door to let us all inside. I took my usual seat at the front of the classroom.

"Settle down," said Snape icily to those who were still talking when he had shut the door behind us. I watched him attentively as he made his way to the front of the classroom.

"Before we begin today's lesson I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape and 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L. or suffer my…displeasure," he said coolly, his gaze lingering on Neville who gulped. I suppressed a smirk as I continued to listen.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape continued, "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye."

His gaze lingered this time on Potter, who looked as though he would like nothing more than to give up Potions class right here and now.

"But we have another happy year to go before that happy moment of farewell," Snape said softly, "so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. students.

"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: The Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: If you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing. The ingredients and method are on the blackboard. You will find everything you need in the store cupboard. You have an hour and a half…start."

I read the instructions twice before going to gather my ingredients from the store cupboard.

"_What's bothering you, Casper?_" asked Snape's voice in my head as I sat back down and began to measure ingredients. I thought carefully before answering.

_I got a detention with Umbridge._

"_What for?_"

_Losing my temper. We won't be using magic in Defense Against the Dark Arts at all this year. How does she expect us to pass our O.W.L.s?_

"_You lost your temper? But you always seem so…collected._"

_So it would seem, but every time I even think of Umbridge I get the urge to curse her…or poison her, _I added as an afterthought, glancing at the various vials of potions on the shelf above his desk.

"_Probably it's best not to poison a teacher. As for your O.W.L.s…I have a suggestion._"

_And what is your suggestion, oh esteemed Potions master?_

"_Why not let me give you private lessons like I did when that idiot Lockhart came to teach here? I never did get a chance to teach you some of the spells I invented._"

My heart skipped a beat and I nearly dropped my bottle of syrup of hellebore.

_Really? You'd be willing to do that?_

"_Of course. You know it has always been my desire to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts,_" he replied in my mind, smirking slightly, "_Of course with all your extra studying for your exams and all your homework, you may not have time to-"_

_I'll make time, _I thought, cutting him off.

"_Good girl. Now, finish your potion._"

I finished my potion, feeling elated. Not even the thought of Umbridge's detention later on could ruin my excitement. When there were ten minutes left to go Snape stood up and began to sweep around the room, inspecting potions.

"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," he said. I looked down at my potion with pride. A light silver mist shimmered over the surface of my potion. Around the dungeon, various potions were emitting sparks or thick, poisonous fumes. Snape stopped by Potter's cauldron, which was emitting a thick, grey smoke which smelled of rotten eggs. Snape smirked slightly.

"Potter, what is this supposed to be?" he asked. Almost everyone looked around, eager to see Snape taunting Potter.

"The Draught of Peace," Potter replied anxiously.

"Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, "can you read?"

Draco laughed loudly but I kept my laughter quiet.

"Yes, I can," retorted Potter, clenching his fist around his wand.

"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter."

Potter squinted at the blackboard through the thick haze of steam in the classroom.

" 'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.'" Potter read aloud.

"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?" Snape asked.

"No," he replied quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No," Potter said loudly, "I forgot the hellebore…"

"I know you did Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. _Evanesco._"

He cleared away Potter's useless potion and made his way back to his desk before addressing the class once more.

"Those of you who _have _managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," Snape said, "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."

As I filled a flagon full of my wonderful potion I was already thinking of the various potion-making uses for moonstones. _Used to achieve emotional balance. Found in many different colors…_I thought to myself as I walked up to Snape's desk to hand him my flagon.

"_No need to think so hard, Casper,_" he said in my mind, smirking as I handed him the potion, "_I think tomorrow will be a good day to start our lessons. Remember- don't get caught-"_

_Or you'll throw me off the Astronomy tower, _I thought with a weak smile, _I know._

Our eyes met and for a moment I was held spellbound. The moment was broken, however, by the sound of shattering glass as Goyle's potion exploded in his flagon and set his robes on fire. He was stomping the flames anxiously.

"_Aguamenti,_" I said lazily, pointing my wand at the flames.

**Chapter 80**

I couldn't concentrate at all during my Divination lesson later that day. I was supposed to be working on interpreting my dreams with my partner, who somehow ended up being Goyle, but instead chose to work on my Potions essay underneath the table. Every now and then I would lift my head as Professor Trelawney walked by and lied to Goyle about some dream I'd had that involved getting chased by a giant. This was a complete lie, of course- I never had dreams anymore.

On a more positive note, I finished my moonstone essay before dinner so I had time to actually eat and not ponder my impending doom that was sure to come with Umbridge's detention. At five minutes to five o'clock I said good-bye to Jen and made my way to her office.

The previous occupants of this office had always brought interesting things, except Lockhart whose office had been filled with pictures of himself. I had to try very hard not to gag when I looked around. Everything was pink and covered with lace. She also had a vast collection of ornamental plates that each showed a different cat that meowed and moved around. Waiting for me was a small table, draped in lace, with a piece of blank parchment and a peculiar looking quill.

"Good evening, Miss Addams," said Professor Umbridge in her sugary voice, "Have a seat."

"Good evening," I said grudgingly, sitting down at the desk.

"Now, you're going to be doing some lines for me tonight, Miss Addams. I want you to write _I must learn to control my anger_," she said briskly.

"How many times?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh, I'll let you know when to stop," she said with a girlish giggle. I forced myself not to say anything and I picked up the unusual-looking black quill. I looked around absently.

"There isn't any ink, Professor," I said quietly.

"you won't be needing any ink," she said simply. I pressed the quill to the parchment, thinking it must be some sort of new quill that supplied its own ink. _I must learn to control my anger _I wrote and let out a sharp gasp of surprise, more than pain. The words that had appeared in shining red letters on the parchment, also appeared etched into the back of my hand. Umbridge looked up, as if she expected me to complain, but I said nothing. I wrote the words again and again they were carved into the back of my hand.

After what seemed like days later the page was covered with the words, which I soon realized were written in my own blood.

"Come here and let me see," Umbridge said suddenly. I dropped the quill and walked over. The cuts were still open and bleeding.

"Very nice. The skin on the back of your hands is really thin, isn't it? Well, that serve as a reminder to you next time, Miss Addams. You may leave," she said, nodding towards the door. I walked out slowly, careful not to let her see me wincing as I automatically grabbed for the handle with my left hand, but was forced to switch to my right. As soon as I shut the door behind me I wrapped my bleeding hand in my robes and let out a strangled cry almost like a sob. I practically ran back to the Slytherin common room, which was empty. I found some bandages in the bottom of my trunk and tightly bound my hand. I could have used magic to bandage it or even heal it, but I wasn't going to risk it, seeing as my left hand was my wand arm and I didn't trust myself to try using a wand with my right hand.

The next day my hand was still sore and it began to bleed if I gripped anything too tightly be it fork, quill, or wand. I had to be extra careful not to hold anything tightly or let anyone see my injury, which resulted in my being remarkably bad at Charms, Transfiguration, and even Care of Magical Creatures. I walked out to Care of Magical Creatures which we still had with the Gryffindors, feeling uncharacteristically gloomy.

Professor Grubbly-Plank stood a few yards away from Hagrid's cabin. A table was set out in front of her lined with what appeared to be twigs.

"Everyone here?" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank once everyone had arrived, "Let's crack on then- who can tell me what these things are called?"

I knew what it was immediately once it leapt up into the air, revealing bark-like faces. I was actually going to raise my hand, but was distracted by a twinge of pain. I had raised my left hand.

"Ooooh!" said two of the Gryffindor girls in awe of the creatures.

"Kindly keep your voices down, girls," said Professor Grubbly-Plank and she scattered what looked like rice but I recognized as wood lice, "So- anyone know the names of these creatures? Miss Granger?"

Of course Hermione Granger had raised her hand immediately, not being slowed by an evil injury which was, damn it, bleeding again. I wrapped the bandages tighter and listened to Hermione's response.

"Bowtruckles. They're tree-guardians, usually live in wand-trees," she replied.

"Five points for Gryffindor. Yes these are bow truckles and, as Miss Granger rightly says, they generally live in trees whose wood is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?" Professor Grubbly-Plank asked. I opened my mouth to respond but Hermione was quicker.

"Wood lice, but fairy eggs if they can get them."

"Good girl, take another five points. So whenever you need leaves or wood from a tree in which a Bowtruckle lodges, it is wise to have a gift of wood lice ready to distract or placate it. They may not look dangerous, but if angered they will gouge out human eyes with their fingers, which, as you can see, are very sharp and not at all desirable near the eyeballs. So if you'd like to gather closer, take a few wood lice and a Bowtruckle- I have enough here for one between three- you can study them more closely. I want a sketch from each of you with all body parts labeled by the end of the lesson."

This proved extremely difficult and by the end of the lesson I handed in a picture of what looked like a mutant porcupine. I ate dinner right-handed and waited in the common room for it to clear. I was careful to get clean bandages and wrap them tightly around my hand before donning my Disillusionment Charm, which was slightly more difficult than usual, and going to Snape's classroom. He was waiting for me and as soon as I shut the door he cast the _Muffliato _spell on it.

"Let's start out by seeing how your Shield Charm has progressed and then move on to something else," he said smoothly. I held my wand lightly in my left hand and faced him.

After a few pathetic Shield Charms and a misfired Stinging Hex that left me with a black eye Snape called it to a halt.

"What is wrong with your hand, Casper?" he asked accusingly. I quickly let my sleeve fall over the bandages so he couldn't see. I held up my right hand innocently.

"You know very well I don't mean that hand," he said, annoyed. I hesitated for a moment and he grabbed my left hand. He held it gently but firmly and I knew it was pointless to try and pull away. He unwrapped the bandages, which had once again become soaked with blood, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the words etched on the back of my hand. I look downwards.

"Umbridge?" he asked softly. I nodded my head and still didn't look at him.

"At least now you can heal it for me," I said finally, "I didn't trust myself to try a healing spell right-handed and trying to heal the back of my own wand hand would be impossible unless I was a contortionist."

"A what?" he asked distractedly as he carefully examined the cuts.

"A contortionist. They're Muggle entertainers who can bend their bodies in unusual ways," I explained as he pulled out his wand.

"That does sound entertaining. _Episkey,_" he said, tapping my hand. To my great surprise, nothing happened.

"Why didn't it work?" I asked blankly, staring at the still-bleeding wounds.

"It's as I feared. The spell won't work because the injuries are magical. The best I can do is rewrap your hand and hope it stops bleeding before you shrivel up and die," he said with a sigh. Not surprisingly his humor didn't make me feel any better. He pointed his wand at the blood-stained bandages and said "_Tergeo" _which immediately cleaned the blood off the bandages. Then, with a gentleness that surprised me, he proceeded to wrap my hand tightly. Every time his fingers brushed my skin my heart leapt into my throat. I kept my thoughts heavily guarded and he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until he finished wrapping the bandages and looked up to see me blushing.

"Can I have my hand back now?" I snapped, hiding behind my cold pretense.

"Of course," he said and released my hand.

**Chapter 81**

It was a while before I could grasp something without my hand splitting open. After that I was careful not to say anything at all to Umbridge or near Umbridge so she wouldn't have another excuse to put me in detention. My Defense Against the Dark Arts classes with Snape went on nearly every night now that I was able to hold my wand again. I had taken to skipping breakfast so that I could keep up with my vast amount of homework. Jen found me in the common room one morning, clutching a copy of the _Daily Prophet _in her hands.

"Here," she said, thrusting it at me, "read this."

One the front page was a large picture of Umbridge, smiling her evil smile.

**Ministry seeks educational reform**

**Dolores Umbridge appointed first-ever "High Inquisitor"**

_In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

'_The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,' said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley, 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve. This is not the first time in recent weeks Fudge has used new laws to effect improvement at the Wizarding school. As recently as August 30__th__ Educational Decree 22 was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current Headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person._

'_That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts,' said Weasley last night, 'Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, so the Minister put in Umbridge and of course, she's been an immediate success, totally revolutionizing the teaching of Defense Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts.' _

'_This is an exciting new phease in the Minister's plan to get to grips with the "falling standards" at Hogwarts,' said Weasley, 'the Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post, and we are delighted to say that she has accepted.'_

_The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents of students at Hogwarts._

'_I feel much easier in my mind now that I know Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation,' said Mr. Lucius Malfoy, 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansion last night, 'Many of us with our children's best interests at heart have been concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years and will be glad to know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation.'_

_Among those "eccentric decisions" are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the hiring of werewolf Remus Lupin, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid, and delusional ex-Auror 'Mad-Eye' Moody._

_Rumors abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts._

'_I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step toward ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all repose confidence' said a Ministry insider last night. Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden have resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Hogwarts. _

'_Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said Madam Marchbanks, 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.'_

"That's ridiculous," I said when I was finished reading, "_'An immediate success' _who are they trying to kid? And the only reason Dumbledore couldn't get anyone to take the Defense Against the Dark Arts job is because it's cursed. No teacher has lasted more than a year."

"Why're you defending Dumbledore?" she asked, "I was always under the impression you didn't like him."

"Well I think he's kind of nutty, but so do a lot of people. That doesn't mean he's not bloody brilliant," I replied.

"Right…So, Umbridge is going to be inspecting teachers. Do you think she'll do it during classes?"

"Probably. That'd be the sort of evil thing she'd do. I hope she's not inspecting Snape's class," I said anxiously.

Professor Umbridge was not in the dungeon classroom when I arrived with the other Slytherins and Gryffindors for our Potions class. Snape handed back our moonstone essays and I was delighted to see an O for 'Outstanding' in the upper corner of my paper.

"I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your O.W.L.," he said with a smirk as he continued to hand out papers, "This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in your examination. The general standard of this homework was abysmal. Most of you would have failed had this been your examination. I expect to see a great deal more effort for this week's essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall have to start handing out detention to those dunces who got D's."

At the end of the class period I handed Snape a flask of my Strengthening Solution which was the precise shade of clear turquoise described by the instructions on the blackboard.

"Very good, Casper," he said to where only I could hear him, "I hope you'll be passing on to N.E.W.T. level next year."

"I plan on it," I said with a small smile.

The last class of the afternoon, Care of Magical Creatures, I found not only Professor Grubbly-Plank but Professor Umbridge as well. Both were standing beside the table with the Bowtruckles and Professor Umbridge was scribbling on her clipboard.

"You do not usually take this class, is that correct?" Umbridge asked Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Quite correct. I am a substitute teacher standing in for Professor Hagrid," she replied, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Hmm. I wonder- the headmaster seems strangely reluctant to give me any information on the matter- can _you _tell me what is causing Professor Hagrid's very extended leave of absence?"

"'fraid I can't. Don't know anything more than you do. Got an owl from Dumbledore, would I like a couple weeks teaching work, accepted- that's all I know. Well…shall I get started then?"

"Yes, please do," said Professor Umbridge, scribbling on her blackboard.

We were continuing our examination of Bowtruckles and Umbridge swept around the class, asking various questions. When she stopped beside me I felt a twinge of pain in my hand and I was careful not to say or do anything to upset her.

"Have you been behaving yourself, Miss Addams?" she asked in a low voice that made me want to punch her.

"Yes ma'am," I said in a toneless voice.

"Good girl. I'm glad you learned your lesson," she said sweetly before sweeping off to question one of the Gryffindor boys. She walked back up to Professor Grubbly-Plank after a lengthy discussion with him.

"Overall, how do you, as a temporary member of staff- an objective outsider, I suppose you might say- how do you find Hogwarts? Do you feel you receive enough support from the school management?" she asked her.

"Oh, yes, Dumbledore's excellent," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, "No, I'm very happy with the way things are run, very happy indeed."

"And what are you planning to cover with this class this year- assuming, of course, that Professor Hagrid does not return?"

"Oh, I'll take them through the creatures that most often come up in O.W.L.," she replied airily, "Not much left to do- they've studied unicorns and nifflers, I thought we'd cover porlocks and kneazles, make sure they can recognize crups and knarls, you know…"

"Well, _you _seem to know what you're doing, at any rate," said Umbridge and then she turned to Goyle, "Now, I hear there have been injuries in this class?"

Goyle grinned stupidly.

"That was me," said Draco hastily, "I was slashed by a hippogriff."

"A hippogriff?" said Umbridge, scribbling frantically.

"Only because he was too stupid to listen to what Hagrid told him to do," said Potter angrily.

"Another night's detention, I think," Umbridge said softly to Potter. I felt a slight twinge of pity. Not even Potter deserved to have his hand sliced open every night.

"Well, thank you very much, Professor Grubbly-Plank, I think that's all I need here. You will be receiving the results of your inspection within ten days," said Umbridge.

"Jolly good," replied Professor Grubbly-Plank brightly, and Umbridge strode off towards the castle.

Later that night when I met Snape in his classroom after hours he surprised me.

"Before we begin- During the next Hogsmeade weekend, if you'd rather not go, I'll be brewing some Veritaserum and you said that you would like to help-" He said.

"-of course I will," I said excitedly, "I've always wanted to brew Veritaserum and it'll be more fun than wandering around the village all day."

"Great. Now, I'd like to let you try out the Blasting Curse, _Confringo. _It causes whatever the curse comes in contact with to explode," he said, "You'll be aiming at these."

He waved his wand and three targets appeared around the classroom.

"Do try not to miss the targets," he said with a slight smirk. I nodded to him and aimed my wand carefully.

"_Confringo_," I said, giving my wand a flick. A jet of light flew out of my wand and hit the target, causing it to explode violently with a sound that sounded like a gunshot. I covered my head with my hands as debris went flying through the air. I was glad Snape had cast the Muffliato spell on the door. Anyone who had heard that would have come to see what it was.

"Nice," he said approvingly, "But I think you could have put more force behind it."

"_More _force? Are you nuts?" I yelped.

"No. More force, bigger explosion. Let's try again…"

**Chapter 82**

The next few days leading up to the Hogsmeade weekend Jen kept pestering me about why I didn't want to go.

"Come on," she said for the fiftieth time, "we can go to the Three Broomsticks and have butterbeer."

"For the thousandth time, no, Jen, I'm not going. I've got tons of homework and studying to do and if you don't stop pestering me I'm going to have to hex you," I said, annoyed, "And I really don't want to have to do that."

She didn't say anything else about it after that, but continued to look sour right up until the moment they left for Hogsmeade. I walked to Snape's classroom, feeling glad that, for once, I didn't have to hide with a Disillusionment Charm. There was nothing against the rules that said I couldn't go down to his classroom during daylight hours. I knocked on the classroom door as he was lighting the fire beneath the cauldron.

"This is a very complex potion," he said once I was inside, "It takes a full moon cycle to make. Go get some Jobberknoll feathers from the store cupboard."

I hurried over to the cupboard and grabbed the feathers.

"Jobberknoll feathers are used in most Truth Serums and potions that enhance the memory," Snape said to me and he tossed a handful into the cauldron.

"Right. We used them in the Wit-Sharpening Potion, too, didn't we?"

"Yes. That's the one you burned because you were staring at me, isn't it?"

"I was listening to you threaten Potter," I said, blushing scarlet.

"Of course you were."

When Monday morning came around I was feeling happier than usual. I had mastered the Blasting Curse the previous night and I walked down to breakfast feeling elated. That is, until I saw the notice on the bulletin board.

------**By Order of-----**

**The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts**

**All student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).**

**No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.**

_**The above is in accordance with**_

_**Educational Decree Number Twenty-four.**_

It was signed by Dolores Umbridge. I didn't particularly care. I wasn't a part of any Club or Organization, unless you counted my private lessons with Snape, which didn't count because there weren't three or more students. Also, there was no way she could have known about that. As soon as Draco saw it he turned on his heel and walked off towards the stairs. I wondered where he was off to.

I found out later that day when the class was lining up outside of Snape's classroom for Potions.

"Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing straightaway, I went to ask her first thing this morning. Well, it was pretty much automatic, I mean, she knows my father really well, he's always popping in and out of the Ministry…it'll be interesting to see whether Gryffindor are allowed to keep playing, won't it?" Draco was saying, letting his voice carry so it was sure to be heard by the Gryffindors who were coming down the stairs.

"I mean," Draco continued, raising his voice a little more, "if it's a question of influence with the Ministry, I don't think they've got much chance. …From what my father says, they've been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years…and as for Potter…My father says it's a matter of time before the Ministry has him carted off to St. Mungo's…apparently they've got a special ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic…"

Draco made a grotesque face that resembled a zombie. I was about to laugh when I saw Neville Longbottom charge at Draco. If Potter and Weasley hadn't held him back Longbottom probably would have plowed into Draco and knocked him over. As it was Potter was holding him tight and Crabbe and Goyle were flexing their muscles menacingly.

"Not…funny…don't…Mungo's….show…him…" Longbottom snarled. The door opened just then and Snape walked out. His eyes fell upon Potter, Weasley, and Longbottom.

"Fighting, Potter, Weasley, Longbottom?" he asked in his cold voice, "Ten points from Gryffindor. Release Longbottom, Potter, or it will be detention. Inside, all of you."

I followed Snape into the classroom without looking back and I sat down at my usual desk and pulled out parchment, quills, and my book.

"You will notice," Snape said to the class in a low, sneering voice, "that we have a guest with us today."

He gestured vaguely towards the dim corner of the classroom and I looked around to see Umbridge sitting in the corner with her clipboard. I nearly dropped my book.

"We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend- instructions are on the board. Carry on," Snape said, flicking his wand at the blackboard so the instructions appeared there.

I concentrated solely on my potion, completely ignoring Umbridge in the corner, scratching away on her clipboard. 30 minutes into the lesson, however, she stood up and walked over to Snape who was leaning over a cauldron, inspecting a potion. I couldn't ignore her then. I was too curious.

"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," she said briskly, "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."

Snape stood up slowly and turned around to face her, his expression unreadable.

"Now…how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" Umbridge asked, her quill poised over her clipboard.

"Fourteen years," Snape replied, his voice emotionless.

"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?"

"Yes," he replied quietly.

"But you were unsuccessful?"

"Obviously," he said, his lip curled in a slight sneer.

"And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"

"Yes," he said, barely moving his lips.

"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?"

"I suggest you ask him," he said irritably.

"Oh I shall."

"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed in a way that sent chills up my spine.

"Oh yes. Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of the teachers'-er- backgrounds…"

Umbridge walked over to Parkinson and began to question her about the lessons. When she was finished with Parkinson she walked over to me. Snape was over near Potter, his back turned.

"What do you think of this class, Miss Addams?" Umbridge asked sweetly.

"It's my favorite class," I replied reaching for a vial of salamander blood to add to my potion.

"Is it? And you don't find the potions too difficult?" she inquired as if she were talking to a three-year old.

"Oh, not at all," I said reverently, "I like challenging things."

"Do you? I see…now, I have heard some rather interesting rumors from quite reliable sources- you and Professor Snape are quite close, aren't you?" she asked quietly.

"Not really," I replied, my grip on the vial of blood tightening slightly.

"That's not what I heard. Some say that your relationship borders…inappropriate?"

I clenched the bottle so hard that it broke, leaving shards of glass embedded in my hand and splattering me with blood.

"Are you nuts?" I hissed at her, eyes narrowed hatefully, "_Never! _Whoever said this was a _liar!_"

The sweet smile slid off her face like sap.

"I think another detention would do you good, Miss Addams. My classroom. 5:00," she said in a low voice, then she strode out of the classroom. Almost everyone turned to watch her go, but Snape walked over to me, eyeing the shards of glass in my hands.

"What happened? What did she say?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing," I muttered quietly. I picked the shards of glass, which were thankfully big, out of my hands carefully and then he healed them. He swept off around the classroom while I went to get another vial of salamander blood out of the store cupboard.

**Chapter 83**

I went to Umbridge's room at 5:00 and sat down to write more lines. The cuts on the back of my hands which had barely begun to heal, sliced open and started to bleed again. She let me go at 11:00 and as soon as I turned the corner I felt tears slide down my face. My hand was practically soaked with blood and I wrapped it in my robes. I quickly wiped my tears away and walked down into the dungeons with my teeth clenched. Instead of going to the common room I went straight to Snape's classroom.

"What-?" he began, staring at my blood-soaked hand.

"Detention with Umbridge," I said in a flat voice. I walked across the room to the sink.

"You've got to let me tell Dumbledore," he said as I ran water over my bleeding hand.

"No. The last thing I need is for Umbridge to have a reason to hate you," I said shortly. He looked briefly irritated but shook it off.

"Come here. I've had an idea," he said, beckoning me to him and pulling out his wand. I walked over as my hand started to bleed again. He held my hand in his left hand and pointed his wand at it. He began a soft, spell-like chant that sounded like a song. I felt the bleeding stop. He wiped the blood residue from my hand and repeated it again. The wounds started to heal. The third time he repeated the spell there were only scars left of the bleeding injury.

"I thought that would work," he said triumphantly, letting go of my hand. I looked down at my hand. It didn't even hurt anymore.

"Brilliant," I said hoarsely, flinging my arms around him in an embrace. He looked slightly pleased as he pushed me away.

"Now, are you going to tell me what she said to you that made you lose your temper again?" he asked me.

"No. I can't tell you," I said, shaking my head, "It doesn't concern you."

I felt him prod my mind gently and search for the memory of the classroom. I reacted with a force so strong that he was literally thrown backwards a few feet as he was forced out of my mind. I was angry now.

"I said _it doesn't concern you!_" I snarled. He looked shocked for a moment and that was enough time for me to feel immediately sorry for what I'd done.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, hanging my head shamefully.

"I won't press the matter if you don't want me to," he replied slowly.

"_Please_ don't," I said quietly, "But…what was that spell you used to heal my hand?"

He accepted this change of topic almost gratefully.

"When I was in school I invented a spell that cut very deeply and couldn't be healed with any normal spell. Of course I had to create a counter-spell for it in case it was ever used on the wrong person," he replied.

"Will you teach it to me?" I asked eagerly.

"Well…it is considered Dark Magic and if you were to use it in front of anybody-"

"-I won't use it in front of anybody," I promised, "I just want to know how to use it."

"Alright. I suppose it would come in handy if you ever got into a real battle," he said slowly, "We'll need something for you to practice on…"

He waved his wand and three sacks of what appeared to be flour, materialized on the ground.

"The spell is _Sectumsempra,_" he said to me, "And you'll want to move your wand in a slashing motion. Almost like it's a sword."

"Right," I said, raising my wand and pointing at one of the flour sacks, "_Sectumsempra._"

As if slashed by an invisible sword a deep cut appeared in the sack of flour and flour began to spill onto the floor. Snape looked pleased again.

"So you can see why you shouldn't use this on a living person unless you _absolutely have to_," he said strictly.

"Yes sir," I said quietly.

As November came along talk about the upcoming Quidditch match had increased. It was the first match of the season and it was Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. Even I couldn't help but get a little excited. It was the first match in over a year since there had been no Quidditch last year due to the Triwizard Tournament. Also, the Gryffindors had a new Keeper- Ron Weasley. Everyone seemed to know that he was a complete klutz on a broomstick.

The morning of the match Draco and a few others came downstairs with a new box of badges. They were crown-shaped and said Weasley is our King.

"Since we're bound to win the match with him playing," Draco said with a smirk. Crabbe and Goyle, who were now the Beaters for the Slytherin team, also smirked. By the time we went down to breakfast nearly everyone at the Slytherin table was wearing a badge. I was perhaps the only one not wearing one and not participating the in verbal bashing of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

The sunlight was bright as we made our way into the stands. I sat down in one of the front rows and Jen sat beside me. She was wearing one of the badges.

"Did you say something to Professor Umbridge about me and Snape?" I asked her in a low voice. It was the first time I'd really gotten to talk to her since that day. I was under the impression she was avoiding me.

"What? No, of course not," she said quickly. I knew she was lying.

"Don't lie to me," I said in a dangerous voice.

"Well…okay _maybe _I mentioned it in front of her…" she said, turning her face away from me.

"Why?"

"Because- I think he's taking advantage of you," she muttered.

"Jen, I've told you. _It's not like that. _Snape is…well he's sort of like a mentor, you know? Like Dumbledore is for Potter, I suppose," I said, struggling to find the right words.

"Not recently. I hear Dumbledore's been avoiding him," she replied with a satisfactory smile. Suddenly our fellow Slytherins burst into song.

_Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring,_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our king._

_Weasley was born in a bin,_

_He always lets the Quaffle in,_

_Weasley will make sure we win_

_Weasley is our King._

"Draco came up with that," Jen informed me, "Last night I heard him teaching some of his mates."

"Nice rhyming," I murmured. I didn't pay much attention to the match, though it sounded like we were winning. The Slytherins were practically screaming the lyrics now until-

A large roar of cheering from the Gryffindors drowned out the boos from the Slytherin. I looked up to see Potter with the Snitch in his hand. The match was over and Gryffindor had won. At the last possible moment Crabbe whacked a bludger in Potter's direction and sent him flying off his broom. Unfortunately he was only 5 feet from the ground with this happened. I saw Draco land beside him and even from this distance it was obvious that he was taunting them. Then the next thing I knew Draco was one the ground with Potter and one of the Weasley twins beating the snot out of him.

Later that evening when I went to Snape's classroom he told me, with a slight smirk on his face, that Potter and both the Weasley twins had been banned from playing Quidditch ever again.

"And," he added grimly, "Hagrid is back."

"Back from playing with giants, you mean?" I inquired. He nearly dropped his wand.

"What? How'd you know-?" he demanded.

"Draco. He said Hagrid's been out playing with giants," I replied with a shrug, "Was it supposed to be secret?"

"Lucius Malfoy needs to learn to keep his mouth shut," Snape grumbled. He didn't looked very happy.

"What was he messing with giants for anyway?" I asked curiously. He looked hesitant for a moment and then sighed.

"Dumbledore sent him to try and persuade them to fight for us- well, you know…the _good _side. He was apparently unsuccessful."

"…does that mean that the Dark Lord has giants on his side?" I asked faintly.

"It would seem so," he said carefully.

"I want to know what he's planning," I said darkly.

"What makes you think he's planning anything?"

"He's a very brilliant person-…I'm not saying I admire his tactics or anything like that, but he's been lying low since the Triwizard Tournament so he's got to be planning something big. I'll bet you know what it is," I said enviously.

"No. The Dark Lord doesn't share his plans with all of us," he replied. Part of that was a lie, but I let it slide.

**Chapter 84**

Tuesday afternoon I, along with my fellow Slytherins and the Gryffindors, trudged through the bitter cold and snow to get to Hagrid's cabin. I had my silver, fur-lined gloves on. Most of us expected Umbridge to be there to inspect the lesson, but she wasn't. As we approached the cabin we all saw Hagrid waiting for us. He was covered with numerous cuts and bruises which did nothing to distract us from the fact that he was carrying half a dead cow over his shoulder.

"We're working' in here today!" Hagrid called, nodding to the sheltered trees, "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark…"

"What prefers the dark? What did he say prefers the dark- did you hear?" Draco asked Crabbe and Goyle sharply, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Ready?" Hagrid said as we approached, "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studying' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britian who's managed ter train 'em-"

"And you're sure they're trained are you?" Draco asked, the panic in his voice even more pronounced, "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"

"'Course they're trained," Hagrid said, scowling.

"So what happened to your face, then?" demanded Draco.

"Mind yer own business!" aid Hagrid angrily, "Now if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!"

He turned and strode straight into the forest. The rest of the class followed, albeit a little reluctantly. We walked for ten minutes until we came to a place where the trees were so thick no sunlight at all shone through.

"Gather roun', gather round'," Hagrid said encouragingly, "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, cause they'll like ter know it's me…"

He gave an odd shrieking cry that echoed through the forest. Hagrid gave the cry again. Everyone was looking around except one Slytherin boy, Potter, and Longbottom. Those three were staring at something I couldn't see. Then I noticed that something was tearing the flesh from the dead cow at Hagrid's feet.

"Oh, an' here comes another one! Now…put yer hands up, who can see 'em?" Hagrid asked. Potter and Longbottom both raised their hands.

"Yeah…yeah, I knew you'd be able ter, Harry. An' you too, Neville, eh? An'-"

"Excuse me but what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?" Draco sneered. Hagrid pointed at the cow carcass where bits of flesh were still being devoured by the beast. It looked extremely odd.

"What's doing it? What's eating it?" shrieked one of the Gryffindor girls.

"Thestrals," said Hagrid proudly, "Hogwarts has got a whole heard of 'em in here. Now, who knows-?"

"but they're really unlucky," interrupted the Gryffindor girl, "They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once-"

"No, no, no, tha's jus' superstition, that is, they aren' unlucky, they're dead clever an' useful! 'Course, this lot don' get a lot o' work, it's mainly jus' pullin' the school carriages unless Dumbledore's takin' a long journey an' don' want ter Apparate- an' here's another couple, look-"

"I think I felt something, I think it's near me!" shrieked the girl.

"Don' worry, it won' hurt yeh," Hagrid said patiently, "Righ' now, who can tell me why some o' you can see them an' some can't?"

Hermione raised her hand.

"The only people who can see thestrals are people who have seen death," she said quickly.

"That's exactly right. Ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, thestrals-" Hagrid said solemnly.

"_Hem, hem,_" Interrupted a somewhat terrifyingly familiar voice. I turned my head to see Professor Umbridge standing a few feet away with her clipboard. She was here to inspect Hagrid. I immediately decided I did not want to stay through a class that Umbridge was inspecting so, when everyone had their eyes on her, I slipped off through the woods and headed back towards the castle.

I decided to head up to the library to check out a new book and on the way there, who should I run into but Snape.

"Shouldn't you be in class, Casper?" he asked as he turned to walk with me towards the library.

"I'm skiving off Care of Magical Creatures," I replied with a shrug.

"Why?"

"Umbridge is there inspecting Hagrid."

"You really shouldn't be skipping lessons unless you're ill," he said in a would-be disapproving tone.

"No one'll even notice I'm gone," I protested.

"Hmm…"

"You could just poison me and say I fell ill," I said with a faint smirk.

"Right. What were you supposed to be doing in Care of Magical Creatures?"

"Just talking about Thestrals," I replied, "Personally I think it's pretty dull."

"You can't see Thestrals can you?" he asked slowly. I shook my head no.

December came quickly and pretty soon it was time for Christmas Holidays. It was late and Snape and I were up practicing. Tomorrow a lot of people would be leaving for the Holidays and we fully planned to take advantage of the lack of people around. It was a few hours before dawn when we heard footsteps coming up the corridor. Snape waved his wand and the desks zoomed back into place. I replaced my Disillusionment Charm and stood in the corner as there was a knock on the door. Snape walked over and opened it. It was the headmaster.

"Dumbledore? What's happened?" Snape asked, allowing him to enter the room and shutting the door behind him. I was wondering the same thing- what could Dumbledore possibly be doing here in the dungeons so late at night?

"Harry Potter just witnessed the attack of Arthur Weasley. He was in the Department of Mysteries on guard duty when Voldemort's snake, Nagini, attacked him," Dumbledore said heavily.

"How could Potter have witnessed such a thing? He's supposed to be in his dormitory, asleep," Snape said.

"He _was _asleep when he witnessed it."

"Ah. I see. Forgive me for asking, Dumbledore, but what has this to do with me?"

"I want you to teach the boy Occlumency."

There was a tense, uncomfortable silence in which I saw Snape's jaw clench and his eyes narrow.

"Why me?" Snape asked finally.

"Because you are the most skilled Occulmens within Hogwarts," Dumbledore replied.

_Flattery will get you nowhere, Dumbledore, _I thought to myself, smirking slightly.

"And if I refuse?" Snape asked harshly.

"then you put the boy's life at risk. If Voldemort becomes aware of the connection between their minds there is no doubt he will use it against him. Use it to kill him."

"Very well…I'll do it," Snape said, not looking at all happy.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, beaming, "I'll expect you to start right after Christmas holidays. I've sent Harry and the Weasley children to Grimmauld Place to spend the holidays there. You'll have to drop by sometime and inform Harry he'll be taking extra lessons with you."

_That'll make Potter's day, _I thought grimly.

"One condition, Dumbledore," Snape said as Dumbledore headed for the door.

"What's that?"

"You must allow me the use of your Pensieve during these lessons. There are some thoughts I would like to remain private, on the slight chance that Potter _does _manage to penetrate my mind…"

"Of course, Severus," Dumbledore said with a nod. Then he left.

As soon as I heard his retreating footsteps I removed my Disillusionment Charm and turned to Snape whose face was livid, but he was trying to control his anger. I gave him a moment before saying anything.

"What is Pensieve?" I asked curiously.

"A substance in which I can store some of my thoughts. Dumbledore uses it when his mind becomes too cluttered. It also allows him to revisit certain memories and pick up on details he may have missed before," Snape replied.

"Interesting…" I said quietly, "…so does this mean we won't have any more Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons?"

"Perhaps occasionally. I will try to have my lessons with Potter sparingly. Of course you could always hang out in the corner and make sure I don't curse him…accidentally…"

I laughed slightly.

"Careful, Severus, I might take you up on that offer," I warned, "I'm curious to see how your lessons with Potter would differ from your lessons with me. And you may need me to make sure you don't curse him. He can be quite arrogant."

**Chapter 85**

Christmas passed without much incident. Only a handful of students had remained over the Holidays. I spent most of my time with Snape, either helping him with a new potion or practicing my Defense Against the Dark Arts. We'd returned to Shield Charms and he insisted that I learn it nonverbally.

"It's considered N.E.W.T. level and you'll be learning it next year if you manage to pass your O.W.L. exam in Defense Against the Dark Arts," he said when I had failed to produce a shield for the third time in a row.

"I'm trying," I said slightly irritably, "Besides, if I fail my O.W.L.s I can blame you. You're supposed to be teaching me Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"You can't blame me for your being so stubborn," he retorted. I saw the corners of his mouth twitch slightly and I stifled a giggle.

"Alright, let me try again," I said, picking up my wand. _Protego, _I thought silently. A shield erupted from the tip of my wand. Feeling triumphant I waved it away.

"Excellent," Snape said, sounding pleased. I smiled to myself and sat on top of the desk.

"Will we work on it again tomorrow?" I asked, checking my watch. It was nearing 4:00am.

"We'll see. Actually, tomorrow I must go and talk to Potter about his Occlumency lessons," he said, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Can I come with you?" I asked quickly.

"…what?"

"When you go to talk to Potter can I come along? I can stay invisible, if you like. I'd just like a chance to get out of the castle…"

"Very well. I suppose you can come with me if you keep your Disillusionment Charm. I suppose that means I'll have to use Side-Along Apparition," he said, frowning slightly.

"What is Side-Along Apparition?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. If you grab onto me when I Apparate you'll be transported as well."

"Oh…will it hurt?"

"No more than getting your hand sliced open by Umbridge. Now, you should probably go and get some sleep if you plan to come with me. Meet me in the entrance hall after lunch."

After a few hours of sleep I went to the Great Hall for lunch. After eating my fill I made my way into the entrance hall where Snape was standing, waiting for me.

"There you are. Now, as I'm sure you know, we can't Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts grounds so we'll have to go outside of the gate. I think it's best if you don your Disillusionment Charm now so that, if anyone sees us, it'll just look like me heading towards the village," he said to me. I nodded and tapped myself on the head with my wand. We walked out of the castle and into the blistering cold. It had snowed heavily the night before and I was careful to walk in the footprints Snape made so it wouldn't look suspicious. As soon as we were outside of the gates Snape paused.

"Grab my arm and don't let go until I say so, otherwise you'll wind up splinching yourself," he instructed.

"Er…splinching?"

"Leaving half yourself behind," he said with a shrug. Feeling slightly alarmed at the thought I grabbed onto his arm.

"Ready? Okay…"

Everything went black suddenly and I felt Snape's arm twist away from me. I quickly grabbed on tighter with my other hand. I felt like I was being squeezed through a tube quite painfully. Suddenly, the strange sensation stopped, and I opened my eyes. We were standing in a dark foyer lit by torches.

"Are you all here, Casper?" he asked quietly.

"I think so…bit hard to tell, since I'm invisible. Ask me again when we get back to Hogwarts," I managed to reply.

"Alright. Be silent," he said to me. A door at the end of the hall opened and a red-haired woman whom I had seen once before bustled out. It was Mrs. Weasley. She smiled brightly at him.

"Ah, Professor Snape. Dumbledore said you might be stopping by," she said.

"I need to speak with Potter," Snape said lazily.

"Yes, of course. I'll go and get him. You can wait in the kitchen, if you like."

Snape had apparently been to this place before because he went into the kitchen without any direction. Someone was already in the kitchen, however- Sirius Black.

"Hello, Black," Snape said quietly. Sirius jumped and whirled around.

"Oh. What are _you _doing here?" he asked, eyeing Snape as if he were something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

"I'm here to talk with Potter, on Dumbledore's orders."

"Well, I'll sit right here while you have your little conversation," Black said angrily, sitting down at the long table in the middle of the room. Snape sat down as well and they both glared in opposite directions.

_Why don't you like Black? _I asked Snape in my head.

"_The same reason I dislike Lupin…we have an extended past,_" he replied coolly.

A few minutes later the kitchen door opened and there stood Potter, dressed in Muggle clothing.

"Er," he said, looking around the room. Snape looked up at him.

"Sit down, Potter," Snape said.

"You know, I think I'd prefer it if you didn't give orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see," Black said, leaning back in his chair. _So this is his house…_I thought to myself. Potter sat down in a chair beside Black and faced Snape.

"I was supposed to see you alone, Potter," Snape sneered, "But Black-"

"I'm his godfather," Black said loudly.

"I am here on Dumbledore's orders," Snape said quietly, "but by all means stay, Black, I know you like to feel…involved."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Black demanded, letting his chair fall back on four legs.

"Merely that I am sure you must feel- ah- frustrated by the fact that you can do nothing _useful _for the Order."

Black flushed and Snape's lip curled in triumph as he turned to face Potter again.

"The headmaster has sent me to tell you, Potter, that it is his wish for you to study Occlumency this term," Snape said to him.

"Study what?" Potter asked blankly.

"Occlumency, Potter. The magical defense of the mind against external penetration. An obscure branch of magic, but a highly useful one," Snape replied, his sneer even more pronounced.

"Why do I have to study Occlu-thing?" he blurted out.

"Because the headmaster thinks it is a good idea. You will receive private lessons once a week, but you will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Dolores Umbridge. You understand?"

"Yes," Potter replied, "Who's going to be teaching me?"

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I am."

Potter looked as if someone had just told him his owl died. He quickly looked around at Black.

"Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry?" asked Black aggressively, "Why you?"

"I suppose because it is a headmaster's privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks. I assure you I did not beg for the job," Snape said silkily. I repressed a snort of laughter. Snape got to his feet.

"I will expect you at six o'clock Monday evening, Potter. My office. If anybody asks, you are taking Remedial Potions. Nobody who has seen you in my classes could deny you need them," he said to Potter. He turned to leave.

"Wait a moment," said Black, sitting up straight. Snape turned around to face him, sneering.

"I am in rather a hurry, Black…unlike you, I do not have unlimited leisure time…"

"I'll get to the point, then. If I hear you're using these Occlumency lessons to give Harry a hard time, you'll have me to answer to," Black said, standing up. I noticed that Snape had his hand clenched around his wand in his pocket. I could hardly blame him. Black was a lot taller and a lot angrier-looking than Snape.

"How touching," Snape sneered, "But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?"

"Yes, I have," replied Black proudly.

"Well then, you'll know he's so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him," Snape said sleekly. I was on the verge of laughing when Black knocked his chair out of the way and strode across the table to Snape, pulling out his wand as he went. Snape also pulled out his wand.

"Sirius!" Potter said loudly, but Black ignored him.

_Snape, now might not be the best time…_I thought anxiously, but I, too, was ignored.

"I've warned you, _Snivellus,_" said Black, his face inches from Snape's, "I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better-"

"Oh, but why don't you tell him so?" whispered Snape. His face had turned livid when Black called him Snivellus. It was obviously offensive. He quickly made his face blank again.

"Or are you afraid he might not take the advice of a man who has been hiding inside his mother's house for six months very seriously?" Snape asked, still sneering.

"Tell me, how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he's delighted his lapdog's working at Hogwarts, isn't he?" Black asked.

"Speaking of dogs," said Snape softly, "did you know that Lucius Malfoy recognized you last time you risked a little jaunt outside? Clever idea, Black, getting yourself seen on a safe station platform…gave you a cast-iron excuse not to leave your hidey-hole in future, didn't it?"

Sirius raised his wand.

"NO!" Potter roared, standing between them, "Sirius, don't-"

"Are you calling me a coward?" roared Black.

"Why, yes, I suppose I am," said Snape quietly.

"Harry- get- out- of- it!" Black snarled, pushing Potter out of the way. The kitchen door opened just then and an entire family of redheads walked in along with a man who could only be Mr. Weasley, wearing striped pajamas.

"Cured! Completely cured!" he announced brightly, grinning. Everyone froze and took in the scene before them. Black and Snape were still facing each other, wands out.

"Merlin's beard," said Mr. Weasley, no longer smiling, "What's going on here?"

Sirius and Snape both lowered their wands, brought back to their senses by the unexpected entrance of so many witnesses. Snape swept across the kitchen past the Weasleys. He paused at the door.

"Six o'clock Monday evening, Potter," he said coldly, then walked out the door.

**Chapter 86**

We left the house without speaking until we were out on the street, which was empty. The sun was beginning to set.

"What was all that about?" I asked weakly.

"Nothing," he said, forcing himself to be calm, "Let's go."

This time when we Apparate just outside the grounds Snape practically had to pry my hands from his arm. It hadn't been any easier than the first time.

"No need to grab so hard, Casper," he said as we walked through the gates, "You've probably left bruises."

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, "…I think I prefer broom travel."

"It's easier when you're doing it by yourself," he assured me. Once we were safely inside the grounds I removed my Disillusionment Charm and checked to see that all of me had made it back to Hogwarts.

"Well, looks like all of me made it back," I said after counting my fingers. He didn't say anything.

At ten minutes till six o'clock on Monday evening I made my way to Snape's classroom wearing my Disillusionment Charm. Snape was sitting at his desk with an odd-looking stone bowl in front of him when I opened the door.

"What're you doing, Casper?" he asked when I shut the door behind me.

"Coming to stand in the corner to make sure no one gets cursed…or poisoned," I added, eyeing the bowl apprehensively, "What is that?"

"Pensieve," he said, motioning me closer. I peered into the bowl to see something that was neither solid nor liquid. It was some sort of silvery substance, somewhat like what a Patronus is made of. I got the sudden urge to see what it felt like. My fingertips were inches from the surface when Snape, quite accurately, grabbed my invisible wrist.

"Don't touch it," he warned.

"Sorry."

"Nice to know five years in the magical world hasn't taught you anything. Don't just stick your hand into some unknown substance," he said coolly, "Especially Pensieve. Not unless you fancy another look into my memories."

"Not particularly," I retorted, "…how does it work?"

"I'll show you."

He lifted his wand to his head and concentrated for a moment. When he pulled his wand away something silvery clung to the tip. He flicked the silvery-stuff into the bowl. He prodded it with his wand tip and the stuff began to swirl. Then, the surface of the bowl seemed to turn to glass and I was peering down at my own curious face. It wasn't a mirror, however. I was peering down at a much younger version of myself and the background appeared to be Anthony's house.

"It's the day I came to get you from your cousin's house when you were first starting Hogwarts. If you were to stick your hand into the bowl you'd be transported into it. No one would be able to see you or hear you or feel you," he explained, "I would let you see, but we don't have time for that now. Potter will be here any minute."

As if on queue a knock on the door interrupted us. I made my way to the corner as Potter walked in.

"Shut the door behind you, Potter," Snape said to him. Potter obeyed and when he turned around Snape pointed to a chair. Potter sat.

"Well, Potter, you know why you are here. The headmaster has asked me to teach you Occlumency. I can only hope that you prove more adept at it than Potions."

"Right," said Potter tersely.

"this may not be an ordinary class, Potter," Snape continued malevolently, "but I am still your teacher and you will therefore call me 'sir' or 'Professor' at all times."

"Yes…_sir._"

"Now, Occlumency. As I told you back in your dear godfather's kitchen, this branch of magic seals the mind against magical intrusion and influence."

"And why does Professor Dumbledore think I need it, sir?"

"Surely even you could have worked that out by now, Potter? The Dark Lord is highly skilled at Legilimency-"

"What's that? _Sir?_"

"It is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's mind-"

"He can read minds?"

"You have no subtlety, Potter. You do not understand fine distinctions. It is one of the shortcomings that makes you such a lamentable potion-maker. Only Muggles talk of 'mind reading.' The mind is not a book to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing, Potter…or at least, most minds are… It is true, however, that those who have mastered Legilimency are able, under certain conditions, to delve into the minds of their victims and to interpret their findings correctly. The Dark Lord, for instance, almost always knows when somebody is lying to him. Only those skilled at Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings and memories that contradict the lie, and so utter falsehoods in his presence without detection."

_The Dark Lord can tell when people are lying to him? Just like I can tell, without really knowing how, when people are lying to me?_

"_It's not the same thing," _Snape assured me in my mind. I wasn't completely reassured but I pushed the matter from my mind, for the time being.

"So he could tell what we're thinking right now, sir?" Potter asked anxiously.

"The Dark Lord is at a considerable distance and the walls and grounds of Hogwarts are guarded by many ancient spells and charms to ensure the bodily and mental safety of those who dwell within them. Time and space matter in magic, Potter. Eye contact is often essential to Legilimency," Snape replied.

"Well then, why do I have to learn Occlumency?" Potter asked.

_And why did I? _I wondered. Snape eyed Harry, tracing his mouth with one finger as he did so. He wore a curious, veiled expression.

"The usual rules do not seem to apply with you, Potter. The curse that failed to kill you seems to have forged some kind of connection between you and the Dark Lord. The evidence suggests that at times, when your mind is most relaxed and vulnerable- when you are asleep, for instance- you are sharing the Dark Lord's thoughts and emotions. The headmaster thinks it inadvisable for this to continue. He wished me to teach you how to close your mind to the Dark Lord," Snape said finally.

"But why does Professor Dumbledore want to stop it?" he asked abruptly, "I don't like it much, but It's been useful, hasn't it? I mean…I saw the snake attack Mr. Weasley and if I hadn't, Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have been able to save him, would he? Sir?"

"It appears that the Dark Lord has been unaware of the connection between you and himself until very recently. Up till now it seems that you have been experiencing his emotions and sharing his thoughts without his being any the wiser. However, the vision you had shortly before Christmas-"

"The one with the snake and Mr. Weasley?"

"Do not interrupt me, Potter," Snape warned in a dangerous voice, "As I was saying…the vision you had shortly before Christmas represented such a powerful incursion upon the Dark Lord's thought-"

"I saw inside the snake's head, not his!"

"I thought I just told you not to interrupt me, Potter?"

"How come I saw through the snake's eyes if it's Voldemort's thoughts I'm sharing?"

"Do not say the Dark Lord' name!!" spat Snape. They glared at each other across the room and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Professor Dumbledore says his name," Potter said quietly, defiantly.

"Dumbledore is an extremely powerful wizard," Snape murmured, "While _he _may feel secure enough to use the name…the rest of us…"

He rubbed his left forearm unconsciously where the Dark Mark was burned into his skin.

"I just wanted to know," Potter began again, "why-"

"You seem to have visited the snake's mind because that was where the Dark Lord was at that particular moment," Snape snarled, "He was possessing the snake at the time and so you dreamed you were inside it too…"

"And Vol- he- realized I was there?"

"it seems so."

"How do you know? Is this just Professor Dumbledore guessing or-?"

"I told you to call me sir," Snape said coldly.

"Yes, sir," said Potter impatiently, "but how do you know-?"

"It is enough that we know," said Snape repressively. I lost track of the conversation for a moment as I studied Potter carefully. In my opinion, he asked too many questions. Couldn't he just accept things without questions and wonder about them later? That's what I did most of the time. I turned my attention back to the conversation.

"And he might try and make me do things?" asked Potter, "sir?"

"He might," said Snape coldly, sounding unconcerned, "Which brings us back to Occlumency."

Snape lifted his wand and added more of his memories to the Pensieve three times before he moved it to a shelf out of their way. Then he turned back to Potter with his wand raised.

**Chapter 87**

"stand up and take out your wand, Potter," Snape instructed. Potter got to his feet, obviously nervous, and faced Snape.

"You may use your wand to attempt to disarm me, or defend yourself in any other way you can think of," Snape said to him.

"And what are you going to do?" Potter asked, eyeing Snape's wand fearfully.

"I am about to attempt to break into your mind," Snape said softly, "We are going to see how well you resist. I have been told that you have already shown aptitude at resisting the Imperius Curse…you will find that similar powers are needed for this…brace yourself, now…_Legilimens!_"

Potter's face went oddly slack and Snape's look was one of concentration. I watched them apprehensively for a moment, wondering if I dared try to enter the connection between their minds, but I didn't get the chance. A beam of light shot out of Potter's wand and struck Snape as Potter fell to the ground, hitting his knee on the desk as he did so. Snape had lowered his wand and was rubbing his wrist where the spell had hit him. There was a welt there that looked a little painful.

"Did you mean to produce a Stinging Hex?" Snape asked coolly.

"No," Potter replied bitterly, getting up from the floor.

"I thought not," said Snape scornfully, "You let me get in too far. You lost control."

"Did you see everything I saw?" Potter asked uncertainly.

"Flashes of it," Snape replied, his lip curling, "To whom did the dog belong?"

"My Aunt Marge," Potter muttered, a look of hatred on his face.

"Well, for a first attempt that was not as poor as it might have been," Snape said, raising his wand once more, "You managed to stop me eventually, though you wasted time and energy shouting. You must remain focused. Repel me with your brain and you will not need to resort to your wand."

"I'm trying but you're not telling me how!" Potter said angrily.

"Manners, Potter," said Snape dangerously, "Now, I want you to close your eyes."

Potter threw him a dirty look before doing so. I couldn't blame him. If Snape hated me I probably wouldn't want to face him with my eyes closed while he carried a wand.

"Clear your mind, Potter," Snape said coldly, "Let go of all emotion…"

It was obvious that Potter wasn't even trying. His face was contorted with hatred for Snape and nothing more.

"You're not doing it, Potter…you will need more discipline than this…focus, now…Let's go again…on the count of three…one- two- three- _Legilimens!_"

This time I also prodded Potter's mind slightly while keeping my own heavily guarded. I saw everything he saw. A black dragon rearing…two people staring at him through a magic mirror, one of them had red hair and familiar green eyes…Cedric Diggory, lying on the ground with blank eyes…

"NO!" Potter shouted. I withdrew quickly and saw he was on the floor again with his face buried in his hands.

"Get up!" Snape said harshly, "Get up! You are not trying, you are making no effort, you are allowing me access to memories you fear, handing me weapons."

He looked paler and angrier than usual. I could guess why- the red-haired, green-eyed woman we had seen in the magic mirror had been Lily Evans and Potter's father.

"I am making an effort," said Potter through clenched teeth.

"I told you to empty yourself of emotion!" Snape said bitterly.

"Yeah? Well, I'm finding that hard at the moment," he snarled.

"Then you will find yourself easy prey for the Dark Lord!" said Snape savagely, "Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked this easily- weak people in other words- they stand no chance against his powers! He will penetrate your mind with absurd ease, Potter!"

Just hearing him say that made me proud that I had mastered Occlumency and mastered control of my emotions. I also thought the words were meant for himself as well as Potter.

"I am not weak," Potter sad furiously in a low voice.

"Then prove it! Master yourself!" spat Snape, "Control your anger, discipline your mind! We shall try again! Get ready, now! _Legilimens_!"

I didn't bother entering his mind this time. It didn't last long. Within minutes Potter was back on all fours.

"I KNOW! I KNOW!" he shouted, but he sounded strangely triumphant.

"What happened then, Potter?" Snape asked, eyeing him carefully.

"I saw- I remembered," Potter panted, "I've just realized…"

"Realized what?" Snape asked sharply. There was a few minutes of silence as Potter rubbed the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. It was obviously hurting him. He looked up at Snape suddenly.

"What's in the Department of Mysteries?" Potter asked quickly.

"What did you say?" Snape asked, looking slightly unnerved.

"I said, what's in the Department of Mysteries, sir?"

"And why," Snape said slowly, "would you ask such a thing?"

"Because that corridor I've just seen- I've been dreaming about it for months- I've just recognized it- it leads to the Department of Mysteries…and I think Voldemort wants something from-"

"I have told you not to say the Dark Lord's name!" Snape roared. He looked extremely agitated and when he spoke again he was trying to sound unconcerned.

"There are many things in the Department of Mysteries, otter, few of which you would understand and none of which concern you, do I make myself plain?" Snape said quietly. For some reason my brain picked out that that was a lie. Something in the Department of Mysteries _did _concern Harry Potter.

"Yes," Potter said, rubbing his scar again.

"I want you back here at the same time on Wednesday, and we will continue work then."

"Fine."

"You are to rid your mind of all emotion every night before you sleep- empty it, make it blank and calm, understand?"

"Yes."

"And be warned, Potter…I shall know if you have not practiced…"

"Right."

Potter grabbed his school bag and left quickly as Snape began to scoop his own thoughts back out of the Pensieve. I lifted my Disillusionment Charm. I didn't say anything for a moment, then…

"So what _is _in the Department of Mysteries? …come to think of it, what _is _the Department of Mysteries?" I asked quietly.

"The Department of Mysteries is a branch of the Ministry of Magic. Mostly they've been trying to figure a way to communicate with the dead."

"Have they made progress?" I asked, feeling slightly alarmed.

"I don't know. The people who work there are called Unspeakables. No one really knows what they're up to most of the time."

"So what is in there that concerns Potter?"

"Nothing in there concerns Potter."

"Don't lie to me, Severus," I said in a low, threatening voice that was not like me at all. He looked up sharply and appeared somewhat surprised. Then his face relaxed.

"Very well…I am not at liberty to discuss such things that I may, or may not, know about the Department of Mysteries," he said slowly. He wasn't lying that time.

"Right," I said, slightly annoyed, "On a change of topic- will you teach me Defense Against the Dark Arts tonight?"

"…no…but I will tomorrow night. I've got to go speak with the Headmaster now," he said, standing up from where he had taken a seat behind his desk.

"About Potter's dreams?" I guessed. He didn't respond so I suspected I assumed correctly.

"Fine. Go have your private conversations with Dumbledore about things that 'you're not at liberty to discuss' with me. See if I care," I said, feeling annoyed again. He looked faintly surprised and opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. I shot him an evil look before leaving his classroom and heading back towards the common room.

**Chapter 88**

Later that night I lay in bed, still feeling angry. I didn't know _why _I was feeling angry, especially towards Snape whom I'd always been able to control my feelings around. _Stupid emotions, _I thought angrily, pressing my face into my pillow. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

_I saw what appeared to be a large stone tower, standing out in the middle of a savage ocean. Dementors were swarming around the place but they made way for a group of hooded people, flying on broomsticks. There were a number of loud explosions. At first I thought it was thunder…then I saw that they had blown holes in the stone tower and a number of haggard-looking people were getting on brooms provided by the hooded-figures. One face stood out in particular to me. One of the haggard figures. Her eyes looked dead, but were full of malice. She was laughing in a way that chilled me to the bone. Her hair stuck out oddly and she was pale and thin._

I awoke with a start, not doubting for a moment that what had happened in my dream was real. I had seen that stone tower once before, in a book, and I knew it to be Azkaban, the wizard prison. It was nearing 2am and all the girls in my dormitory were sleeping. I got up quickly and silently, grabbing my wand from the bedside table. I tapped myself on the head with my wand to apply my Disillusionment Charm before leaving the common room.

Snape was in his office, I was sure of it. I knocked hurriedly on the door. There was moment of surprised silence, then-

"Enter," he said softly. I opened the door and quickly shut it. I removed my Disillusionment Charm, since It's always so much easier to talk when I am visible.

"Casper? What's wrong?" Snape asked, faintly alarmed. He put down the quill with which he had been writing.

"I…there's been a breakout from Azkaban. I saw it…in a dream," I said, feeling increasingly awkward.

"A dream?"

"Not a normal dream. It was…different. But I saw it happen and it did happen, I know it happened. I forgot to close my mind before I went to sleep, I was fuming about earlier."

His face paled slightly.

"What exactly did you see?" he asked slowly. I explained everything I had seen in my dream-vision and I described the one woman who had stood out to me. When I was finished describing her there was a moment of silence and Snape mouthed two words, but no sound came out. He cleared his throat.

"Bellatrix Lestrange. She was a high security prisoner in Azkaban. I'm sure the others were as well. I-…we have to go see Dumbledore," Snape said, standing up.

"What? 'We'? As in _me, _too? Come on, Severus, you know I don't like attention. Can't you just tell him-?" I asked, alarmed.

"No. It's best if you come. You can trust Dumbledore. He won't tell anyone if you don't want him to, I'm certain of it," Snape assured me. I took a deep breath and calmed my nerves. I told myself to keep my mind studiously blank and calm.

"…alright. I'll go…but only because you seem to trust him. Personally, I always thought he was a bit of a crackpot. He's brilliant, though," I said finally.

"I know you think he's a crackpot old fool. I spend half my time in your head," he said with a wry smile, "You don't have to explain it to me."

As we walked towards Dumbledore's office along the deserted corridors I began wondering and thinking…

"Does that ever get confusing?" I asked Snape.

"Does what get confusing?" he inquired, looking up at me.

"Spending so much time in other people's heads."

"No, not really. I can block the thoughts of others when I want to. You'd be surprised at how possible it is for me to obsess on a single thought, whether it be mine or someone else's," he replied. The thought was a little unnerving but we soon reached the stone gargoyle hiding Dumbledore's office and had no chance to talk about it.

"Fizzing Whizbee," Snape said to the gargoyle. This was apparently the password, for the gargoyle moved aside and let us in. I hung back a moment, looking apprehensively at the griffin-shaped door knocker. He took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly before knocking on the door. My mind had gone numb when he took my hand and it only faded when the door opened and he released my hand.

Dumbledore was sitting at a large desk, his hands folded in front of him. The room was full of various objects but I was finding it hard to concentrate on any one thing.

"Severus. To what do I owe this…unexpected visit?" Dumbledore asked. His blue eyes fell on me, but he did not look angry.

"The thing you have been anticipating has happened. Azkaban has been broken into," Snape said to him.

"How do you know?" Dumbledore asked sharply.

"Casper saw it…in a dream," Snape said slowly.

"A dream?" Dumbledore repeated, looking at me, "Is that right?"

I nodded my head numbly.

"I've had dreams like that before. Things that happen in the future…or the present…or the past," I said, sliding a look at Snape before turning back to Dumbledore, "but you already know that, don't you? I saw him tell you…a long time ago."

"Ah. Of course. Severus, would you step outside for a moment, please? I'd like to talk to Miss Addams alone for a moment," Dumbledore said to him. Snape hesitated and I looked at him desperately. I didn't want to talk to Dumbledore, especially if Snape wasn't there.

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape said finally, and he left the room. I watched him leave and then turned back to Dumbledore.

"Have a seat, Casper," he said, indicating a chair in front of his desk. I sat down warily. I wondered what he wanted to talk to me about.

"Why didn't you use your Occlumency before you went to sleep tonight?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"I forgot," I said, surprised, "…I was upset about something and I fell asleep before I could clear my mind off all emotion."

"I see. That must not happen again, Casper," Dumbledore said. His voice did not sound strict or reprimanding, but there was no question of authority.

"You know things most people don't know," he continued, "whether you are aware of them or not. And not just about Severus, but about things outside of this school, though of course these are both of great importance. You may not understand a lot of the things you know, and that in particular is what makes you an excellent target for Death Eaters."

I frowned slightly. Why would Death Eaters come after me? I was pure-blood, I was a Slytherin, and most importantly, I was friends with Snape.

"A friendship with Severus only goes so far. He can only shield you so much. It is important that you listen to him and do what he says," Dumbledore said, as if reading my mind. _I haven't got any plans to disobey him, _I thought hotly, but said nothing out loud.

"So you see why it is important for you to block your mind? Not just before you sleep, but whenever you are outside of Hogwarts. That is to say- don't walk around pondering things without first putting up your defenses," Dumbledore continued.

"Yes, sir," I said quietly.

"Excellent. Now, do you have any questions?"

"Just one, sir…How come you never gave Severus-…er, Professor Snape- the Defense Against the Dark Arts job?" I asked curiously.

"I have my reasons, Casper. One day I may share them with you."

Dumbledore stood up and walked over to the door. He opened it and beckoned Snape back inside. Snape walked in, looking at me curiously. I smiled faintly to show him no harm was done, but I kept my mind blocked.

"I think that Casper can go back to bed now. There is no point in us going to visit Azkaban tonight. The prisoners are probably already gone. The Ministry of Magic probably knows by now as well. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the subject didn't make the morning papers," Dumbledore said carefully.

**Chapter 89**

Dumbledore was right. The very next morning it was in the papers, but it took two or three days before it leaked to most of the school because most of the school no longer ordered the morning paper. The morning after the news article a new notice appeared on the bulletin.

---By Order Of---

**THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS**

_Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach._

"What is that about?" Jen asked me when she saw the notice. I shrugged my shoulders in response as we walked towards the breakfast table.

"Do you know what I heard one of the Hufflepuff boys talking about?" she inquired.

"What?"

"He said that the prisoners from Azkaban are hiding in the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade while they plan an attack on the school," she replied, eyes wide.

"What a load of dung," I said scornfully, "The escapees are with the Dark Lord. There's no doubt in my mind."

"So you really think he's back, then?"

"Of course. If Dumbledore says he back then he's back."

That wasn't the case at all of course. I believed he was back because Snape believed it… and because I had seen the mark burn on his arm.

January passed in a bit of a blur. I had tons of homework but still managed to find myself in Snape's classroom every night, whether it be to watch his Occlumency lessons with Potter, or to have him teach me Defense Against the Dark Arts. I had mastered nonverbal Shield Charms after a lot of practice.

As February also came to a close a magazine called _The Quibbler _had published an interview with Harry Potter about what happened the night the Dark Lord returned. I was one of the few who saw the article before Umbridge, in her unmasqueraded fury, banned the magazine from Hogwarts. That only made more people read it. Most of the Slytherins were ticked-off because Potter had named most of their father's as Death Eaters. The sad part was that there father's _were _Death Eaters, that's why they were annoyed.

During one of Potter's Occlumency lessons something rather interesting happened. I was standing in the corner, watching, invisible as always. Potter was trying to resist but again he fell to his knees.

"Get up, Potter," Snape said, sounding angry, "That last memory. What was it?"

"I don't know," Potter replied wearily as he got to his feet, "The one where my cousin tried to make me stand in the toilet?"

"No. I mean the one concerning a man kneeling in the middle of a darkened room…"

"It's…nothing," Potter said quickly.

"How do that man and that room come to be in your head, Potter?" Snape asked.

"It- it was- just a dream I had."

"A dream," repeated Snape, "You do know why we are here, don't you, Potter? You do know why I am giving up my evenings to do this tedious job?"

"Yes."

"Remind me why we are here, Potter."

"So I can learn Occlumency."

"Correct, Potter. And dim though you may be I would have thoughts that after two months' worth of lessons you might have made some progress. How many other dreams about the Dark Lord have you had?"

"Just that one," Potter replied stiffly. He was lying.

_That's a lie, _I quickly informed Snape. I saw his eyes narrow slightly.

"Perhaps," he said, dark eyes glittering coldly, "perhaps you actually enjoy having these visions and dreams, Potter. Maybe they make you feel special- important?"

"No, they don't," said Potter, clenching his fists.

"that is just as well, Potter, because you are neither special nor important, and it is not up to you to find out what the Dark Lord is saying to his Death Eaters."

"No- that's your job, isn't it?" Potter spat out. There was an extended silence. Snape had a somewhat satisfied expression on his face. He seemed glad that someone had finally acknowledged the dangerous work he did for the Order.

"Yes, Potter, that is my job. Now, if you are ready, we will start again…" Snape said, eyes glinting. He raised his wand.

"One- two- three- _Legilimens!_"

Potter still had his eyes open and a determined look on his face. He raised his own wand and cried "_Protego!_"

Snape's face went oddly slack and for a moment I prodded the connection between their minds and saw that Potter was receiving some of Snape's memories. Snape-the-teenager shooting flies down from the ceiling with his wand…Lily Evans laughing as he tried to mount a bucking broomstick…

I withdrew quickly and pushed Potter hard in the chest to break his concentration.

"ENOUGH!" Snape shouted. His face was very white. Potter had stumbled a few feet backwards when I had pushed him and something on one of the shelves had smashed.

"_Reparo,_" Snape hissed, repairing the broken jar, "Well, Potter…that was certainly an improvement…I don't remember telling you to use a Shield Charm…but there is no doubt it was effective…"

He was panting and shaking slightly. I felt a sort of cold fury towards Potter. He had broken into Snape's mind, something that I had never dared to do. (Unless you count the dreams I had, which weren't intentional.)

"Let's try again shall we," Snape said quietly. They both returned to their original positions and the expression on Potter's face told me he knew what was coming. He was going to pay dearly for that insight into Snape's mind.

"On the count of three then," Snape said, raising his wand, "One- two- _Legilimens!_"

I wondered what happened to 'three' when all of a sudden Potter was knocked onto his back and Snape pulled out of his mind.

"POTTER!" Snape said loudly, and he opened his eyes. I wondered what he had seen. Snape looked more furious than he had a moment ago.

"Explain yourself," Snape commanded.

"I…dunno what happened. I've never seen that before. I mean, I told you, I've dreamed about the door…but it's never opened before…"

"You are not working hard enough! You are lazy and sloppy, Potter, it is a small wonder the Dark Lord-"

"Can you tell me something, _sir?_" Potter said venomously, "Why do you call Voldemort the Dark Lord, I've only ever heard the Death Eaters call him that-"

Snape opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by a scream from somewhere outside of the room.

"What the-?" he muttered, looking up at the ceiling. There was a muffled commotion coming from the floor above, which might have been the entrance hall.

"Did you see anything unusual on your way down here, Potter?" Snape asked, frowning. Potter shook his head no. The woman screamed again and Snape left the room, followed closely by Potter. I decided to stay where I was. I didn't think they'd be coming back anytime soon so I removed my Disillusionment Charm. I looked around the room and my eyes fell on the Pensieve sitting on Snape's desk. I walked over sneakily and took a look in the bowl. I prodded the swirling memories with my wand and they swam around for a moment before stopping on a scene. It was Snape, probably fifteen years old, leaning over a piece of paper, scribbling furiously. Wondering why he was so keen to keep this memory from Potter I leaned over to get a better look. Then, without warning, my nose skimmed the top of the Pensieve and I was lurched head first into the memory.

**Chapter 90**

I was falling through cold blackness, spinning, and then- I landed feet first on what seemed to be solid ground. I was in the Great Hall, I was certain of it, only the house tables had been replaced by hundreds of smaller desks. No one had looked up when I had fallen out of the sky and I remembered that Snape had told me no one would hear, see, or feel me in the Pensieve. Snape…he was going to be furious with me if I didn't find a way out, but I certainly couldn't come back the way I came. _Speaking of Snape, _I thought to myself, _Where is he? This is his memory, so…_

I spotted him at once, sitting at a desk directly behind where I was standing. I could tell he was tall, though he was sitting down, and he was also quite thin. He was paler than me and his hair was black, lank, and rather wispy. Every few minutes he would push it back behind his ear irritably, without stopping writing. After staring at him for a few minutes I tore my attention away from him and onto whatever he was writing. I read the heading of the paper: **Defense Against the Dark Arts- Ordinary Wizarding Level.**

_So I was right, _I thought to myself, _he's around my age if he's taking his O.W.L. exams._

"Five more minutes," announced a younger Professor Flitwick. Snape continued to write at a quicker pace. He had written a foot more than his neighbors in his usual, small handwriting. His face was contorted with concentration but he also had an eager look in his black eyes. My stomach jolted when I realized I enjoyed looking at a Snape who was close to my own age. I blushed, even though there was no one around to reprimand me.

"Quills down, please!" said Professor Flitwick, making me jump slightly, "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment. _Accio!_"

100 rolls of parchment zoomed towards him and knocked tiny Professor Flitwick down. A few people laughed, including me. When he got to his feet he announced everyone was free to go.

Snape got to his feet, still pouring over his examination paper. He got his bag from the floor and slung it over his shoulder. I followed him as he walked out of the Great Hall, still lost in his exam paper, apparently unaware of where he was going. He walked towards the lake and settled himself on the grass in the dense shadow of a clump of bushes. Everything seemed oddly solid, unlike my dreams. I could feel the grass, though I couldn't make it move or change it in any way. It was almost like I could float through things and I felt almost certain that I could have moved through a brick wall. Excitement rising through me I ran my fingers through Snape's hair, something I never would have done had he been aware of it. He had an almost dreamy look on his face as he continued to pour over his exam paper. _Did I just think of Snape as dreamy? _I asked myself, feeling slightly alarmed.

Shivering slightly I forced my gaze away from him and to the four boys sitting at the foot of a tree a short ways a way. At first I thought one of them was Harry Potter, but when I got closer I saw the distinct differences. These eyes were brown, not green, and he didn't have a lightning scar on his forehead. _Must be Potter's father, _I thought to myself and looked at the other three boys. Two of them were easily recognized as Sirius Black and Lupin. The other boy I didn't know. Lupin was reading a book, Black was looking around, bored, and Potter was playing with a Golden Snitch while the fourth boy watched. Potter made several nice catches which made the fourth boy clap and cheer excitedly.

"Put that away, will you?" Black said finally to Potter, "Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement."

I laughed slightly and then scowled at myself for thinking something Black said was funny.

"If it bothers you," said Potter, grinning as he shoved the snitch back into his pocket.

"I'm bored," said Black with a sigh, "Wish it was a full moon."

"You might," said Lupin darkly from behind the book, "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me…here."

He held out the book and Black snorted indignantly.

"I don't need to look at the rubbish, I know it all," he said.

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said Potter quietly, "Look who it is…"

Black's head turned and he became very still.

"Excellent," he said softly, "_Snivellus._"

I whirled around, a feeling of dread in my stomach, and saw they were both looking at Snape who had emerged from the bushes, stowing the exam paper in his bag.

"All right, Snivellus?" said Potter loudly as he and Black got to their feet. Snape whirled around, dropping his bag and reaching for his wand, but Potter was quicker. He drew his wand and shouted _"Expelliarmus!"_

Snape's wand flew up into the air and landed a little ways away. Snape made his way to grab it.

"_Impedimenta!_" said Black, also pointing his wand at Snape. A lot of people had now gathered around to watch, most of them looking thoroughly entertained. Snape lay on the ground, panting. Potter and Black advanced on him with their wands raised. Lupin and the other boy, Wormtail, had remained seated though Wormtail was looking on eagerly.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" Potter asked.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchments," said Black viciously, "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Several people laughed and Wormtail sniggered. I was flooded with a cold fury. I aimed a punch at Black, but my fist went right through him like a ghost. Snape was struggling, trying to get up, but the jinx still held him down.

"You- wait," Snape panted, staring at Potter with pure loathing, "You-wait…"

"What for what?" said Sirius coolly, "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of impressive swear words and hexes, but his wand was still ten feet away and nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," said Potter coldly, "_Scourgify!_"

Soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth, choking him. I let out a cry of protest and looked around anxiously.

"Leave him ALONE!" said a loud voice. For the first time in my life I was glad to see Lily Evans. She was storming across the lawn and Potter and Black both looked at her.

"All right, Evans?" said Potter pleasantly.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated, her voice full of dislike, "What's he done to you?"

"Well it's more the fact that he _exists, _if you know what I mean…"

A few people laughed but Lily didn't and neither did Lupin who was still staring intently at his book.

"You think you're funny," said Lily coldly, "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him _alone_."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said Potter quickly, "Go on…go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," Lily retorted. I smiled faintly. No wonder Snape liked her.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Black briskly, turning back to Snape who was going for his wand now that the jinx had worn off, "OY!"

But he was too late: Snape directed his wand straight at Potter and with a flash of light a gash appeared in Potter's face, splattering his robes with blood. He whirled around quickly and with another flash of light Snape was hanging upside down. I let out a strangled cry and turned away from the scene. Many people in the crowd were cheering and even Lily's furious expression had twitched for a moment as if she were going to smile. I felt a fresh surge of hatred towards her.

"Let him down," she said angrily to Potter.

"Certainly," he replied and flicked his wand. Snape fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Furious he got to his feet and aimed his wand at Potter, but Black said "_Petrificus Totalus!_" and he keeled over, stiff as a board. I wanted it to stop. I felt tears rising to my eyes and I wondered how I was supposed to get out of the Pensieve.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said Potter earnestly.

"Take the curse of him then," she retorted. Potter sighed and muttered the counter curse.

"There you go," Potter said as Snape struggled to his feet, "you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Snape retorted. _Idiot! _I thought, slapping myself in the head. Lily blinked once, stunned.

"Fine," she said coolly, "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, _Snivellus._"

"Apologize to Evans!" Potter roared at Snape, brandishing his wand threateningly.

"I don't want _you _to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on him, "You're just as bad as he is…"

"What? I'd NEVER call you a- you-know-what!" Potter yelped.

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can- I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK!" Lily shouted. She turned on her heel and stomped away.

Something grabbed me from behind and I felt myself being pulled up through cold blackness, then I was back on the floor in Snape's office. The full-grown Snape was there, standing above me, looking furious.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed furiously. I realized that I was weeping silently and I quickly wiped my tears away as Snape continued to glare at me with a look of hatred usually reserved for Potter…and now I knew why.

"I'm sorry," I choked, "…I didn't mean to…"

His face cleared quickly as he tried to keep his anger under control. I looked down, not daring to meet his eyes. I felt that ill feeling again.

"Why did you?" he asked harshly. I didn't respond, though I knew the answer. Still I would rather die than tell him the truth.

"Why did you?" he repeated, his voice forced calm. _I should tell him the truth, _I thought miserably, _He won't be angry at me…or maybe he will. How to word it?_

I stared intently at the floor and I felt my face turning red.

"I…liked looking at you as a teenager. I was curious to see…" I murmured and didn't continue. My stomach gave another unpleasant jolt. I chanced a glance at him and saw that his eyes were wide with surprise. Our eyes met and for a long moment neither of us said anything.

"Perhaps…we should pretend this never happened," Snape said slowly. I nodded my head numbly in agreement. He helped me to my feet without saying a word and I left quickly.

**Chapter 91**

When I got back to the common room I still felt slightly ill. Jen was waiting for me, looking more than happy.

"Did you hear what happened?" she asked excitedly.

"No," I said, shaking my head numbly.

"Professor Trelawney has been sacked as a Divination teacher and Dumbledore's replaced her with a _centaur!_" she said dreamily.

"A centaur?" I said, looking up. That was enough to capture my attention.

"A _gorgeous _centaur named Firenze. You should have seen the look on Umbridge's face. She's furious. She _hates _half-breeds."

Divination classes were now held in a classroom on the ground floor which had been abandoned for a long time. Dumbledore had changed the classroom so that it now resembled a forest so Firenze would feel more at home.

A few weeks later something very unexpected happened- Dumbledore disappeared. According to the rumors Potter and his friends had been having secret meetings throughout the school year and Umbridge had found out. The Minister of Magic had come to the school and Umbridge had caught Potter sneaking out of one of the meetings. Somehow, Dumbledore ended up taking the blame for it and he had disappeared. The very next day Umbridge was declared Headmistress of Hogwarts. A handful of my fellow Slytherins were delighted. Umbridge had let them join her special 'Inquisitorial Squad' which consisted of a handful of students who were faithful to her and trustworthy.

Snape and I were walking towards the dungeons one evening after supper when she called out to us. We both turned around a little reluctantly to see what she wanted.

"Ah, Professor Snape, and Casper, too. Just the two people I was looking for," Umbridge said, smiling.

"Hello Professor Umbridge," I said with a false, cheery smile that made her practically beam at me before she looked to Snape.

"Professor Snape, I could certainly use some Veritaserum later this evening," Umbridge said to him.

"May I ask why, Headmistress?" Snape asked her smoothly.

"I plan to interrogate Potter tomorrow about the whereabouts of Albus Dumbledore. I also suspect he knows where Sirius Black is," she replied. Snape's expression did not falter once.

"I see. Casper, will you go down to my office and get the small vial of Veritaserum out of my desk?" Snape asked, turning to me.

"Yes, sir," I said, and hurried off towards the dungeons.

"_Don't grab the Veritaserum,_" said a voice in my head, "_get the other, larger bottle._"

_What's in the other bottle? _I asked, startled.

"_A harmless substance. We can't have her asking Potter about the Order. Keep your thoughts veiled,_" he replied, then withdrew from my mind.

When I returned a few minutes later with the bottle in my hand Umbridge smiled brightly at me. Snape looked rather sour, and I wondered what they had been talking about before I arrived.

"Thank you, Casper. I've been meaning to ask you- how would you like to join the Inquisitorial Squad?" Umbridge asked, as if this were what any normal person wanted more than anything in the world.

"Me?" I asked, surprised.

"Of course, dear. I think you've made wonderful progress controlling your anger. You haven't had a detention in months," she said, smiling, "What do you say?"

I feigned a considerate look.

"Gee, I'm sorry Professor Umbridge, but with all the studying I have to do for my exams I really don't think I'd have the time. I'm sorry," I said with false sorrow.

"You'll only need three drops of that Veritaserum," Snape advised, but Umbridge was ignoring him.

"It's okay," she said smoothly, "I'll see you both later."

As soon as she was gone Snape laughed, startling me.

"Laying it on a little thick, weren't you, Casper?" he teased, "Or have you really grown to like her?"

"Shut up," I said, scowling at him, "I hate that woman."

"I don't blame you. It's always good not to openly hate someone. You never know when they might become useful," he said, his face suddenly serious.

"What are you talking about?" I said, still scowling, "You openly hate everyone!"

I smiled faintly and he looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Not everyone," he said meaningfully, and then walked off towards the dungeons, leaving me with a curious expression on my face.

The next day I passed Potter in the hallway and felt a fresh surge of anger as I recalled what his father had done to Snape. I might've cursed him just for the fun of it if it hadn't been for the fact that he was being led by Filch, who was laughing wheezily.

"You filthy little beasts would never have dropped Stinkpellets if you'd known I had it in my power to whip you raw, would you, now?" Filch said delightedly, "Nobody would have thought of throwing Fanged Frisbees down the corridors if I could've strung you up by the ankles in my office, would they? But when Educational Decree Twenty-nine comes in, Potter, I'll be allowed to do them things…_And _she's asked the Minister to sign an order for the expulsion of Peeves…Oh, things are going to be very different around here with _her _in charge…"

I continued down the stairs, thinking how unpleasant it would be to have Filch string me up with the well-oiled chains that hung from the ceiling in his office. Then a thought came, completely unbidden by me, that it might not be so unpleasant if it were Snape. I dropped the books I was carrying in surprise that such a thing would cross my mind and I fell down the rest of the stairs. Luckily I was only a few feet from the bottom and didn't break my neck or any other bones.

"Are you alright?" asked an alarmed voice. I looked up to see Snape standing above me.

"Fine. Never better," I said quickly, stumbling to my feet before he could offer to help me up.

"What happened?" he asked, following me up the stairs so I could get my books.

"I was thinking about something and I tripped," I said faintly.

"Must've been something interesting."

"No, not at all," I said a little too quickly. He looked at me with a puzzled expression and I quickly blocked my mind. I realized I wasn't helping my case by blushing and I forced myself to be empty of all emotion.

"I was just on my way to lunch," I said as I picked up the last of my library books.

"Right. Well-"

He was interrupted by a large BOOM that shook the whole building.

"What the-?" I murmured, looking around.

Someone had set off a large crate of enchanted fireworks. Sparks were flying everywhere. A number of large dragons comprised entirely of sparks were zooming around emitting fiery bags as they went. Rockets with long silver tails were bouncing off the walls. Brilliant Sparklers were writing swearwords in mid air all by themselves. I couldn't help but laugh as one of the Sparklers wrote the words POO in large, red, letters. Suddenly, one of the large rockets flew straight at me. Before I had time to react Snape jumped in front of me, knocked me to the side, and with his wand raised, cried "_Protego!_" forming a shield and causing the rocket to fly off in the opposite direction.

"Are you alright?" Snape asked shortly as he helped me to my feet.

"Fine," I managed to say, staring at him blankly.

**Chapter 92**

The fireworks hung around for the rest of the day and no matter what Umbridge did she couldn't get rid of them. By the next morning, however, they were all gone. I spent most of my day studying for the stupid O.W.L. exams, though for some reason I couldn't concentrate. It was nearing 7:00 when I remembered that Potter was having an Occlumency lesson with Snape. I tossed my Charms book aside and left the common room.

As I approached the classroom I heard a loud SMASH! I was even more startled when Potter ran past me so fast he was barely more than a blur. I arrived at the door to the classroom to find a broken jar of what appeared to be cockroaches. Snape was standing in the middle of the room, face white with fury, and his teeth clenched.

"What…?" I asked, but trailed off. I repaired the jar with my wand and I scooped up the dead cockroaches and put them into the jar. I walked into the room and shut the door. I put the jar back on the shelf where it belonged and took a seat in the chair in front of his desk. Snape still had not moved or spoken.

Slowly his face relaxed and his teeth unclenched. He walked over to his desk and took a seat.

"What happened?" I asked carefully, "Why'd you throw a jar of cockroaches at Potter?"

He indicated the bowl of Pensieve on the table. Potter had visited his memories. I swore loudly.

"I could jinx him for you, if you like. Probably Umbridge wouldn't even give me detention," I offered, "I would have done it the other day if Filch hadn't been there."

"No thanks," he said with a wry smile.

"I forgot he had an Occlumency lesson today," I said sheepishly, "Otherwise I would have come earlier."

"Don't worry about it. At least now I don't have to teach him anymore."

"But won't Dumbledore be mad? Isn't the Dark Lord planning on using Potter for something?" I asked, slightly alarmed.

"Do I care?" he replied, sighing heavily, "Dumbledore should have stayed to teach Potter himself if he wanted it done so badly."

"Point taken," I said, leaning back in my chair, "…I'm bored."

"Shouldn't you be studying?" he asked with a frown.

"I've got six whole weeks before the stupid exams. And I've never failed anything before. I highly doubt I'm going to fail my O.W.L.s," I retorted, "And I've been doing nothing but studying for _hours! _It's boring!"

"Well what am I supposed to do? Entertain you?" he asked wryly. I shot him an evil look.

The Easter Holidays were filled with more studying and on the last day of the Holidays a notice appeared on the bulletin board.

**CAREER ADVICE**

**All fifth years will be required to attend a short meeting**

**With their Head of House during the first week of the **

**Summer term, in which they will be given the opportunity to**

**Discuss their future careers. Times of individual appointments**

**Are listed below.**

I checked the listed times and saw that I was going to miss Care of Magical Creatures class on Monday afternoon to have a short meeting in Snape's office. I was delighted.

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do after Hogwarts?" Jen asked me, eyeing the bulletin.

"Not the faintest. Work at the Ministry seems plausible. It's pretty much all there is. The question is, which branch…" I murmured in response.

"Well, you could always be an Auror-"

"No way. I'm not going to be a dark wizard catcher," I said darkly, glancing up at the staff table as we made our way to breakfast.

"Well there's the Department of Magical Law Enforcement- oh and the Department of Mysteries, of course," she said as we sat down.

"Yeah, then I could call myself an 'Unspeakable'," I said with a smirk, though deep inside I was actually contemplating it. Snape had said they were working on ways to communicate with the dead.

When I went to Snape office on Monday afternoon for my 'Career Conference' I still wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do. I flopped down in the chair across from his desk, feeling slightly depressed.

"What's wrong? I thought you would jump at the chance to miss Care of Magical Creatures," Snape said, sounding surprised.

"It's not that- it's just…I have no idea what I want to do after I leave Hogwarts. I never gave it much thought until I saw the notice on the board two days ago."

"Oh. So you can't think of anything? A healer, maybe? You've definitely got the grades for that."

"I can't be a Healer. I hate doctors," I retorted, "…but I was thinking…maybe I could work in some branch of the Ministry. I actually considered the Department of Mysteries. What you said about them trying to communicate with the dead sounded interesting."

"I don't think you want to do that. It's more of a false hope, really…"

"But what if they do find something? Besides, that's not the only thing they do there, is it? And you know how nosy I am when it comes to things no one else is supposed to know."

"You're right. You might make a good Unspeakable. From what I know, you don't reveal anything that you've learned that you're not supposed to know."

He told me the various grades I would need to apply for a job, but I wasn't really listening. I knew I'd do well on my exams, simply because I'd been studying like mad.

Later that night I was sitting in the common room with my Transfiguration book open in my lap when Jen came in through the door, looking excited.

"Did you hear what happened?" she asked me.

"Apparently I _never _hear what happens," I said, slightly disgruntled, "What happened?"

"The Weasley twins turned one of the corridors into a swamp, hopped on their broomsticks, and flew out of Hogwarts! It was amazing," she said, eyes wide.

"They turned the corridor into a swamp?" I repeated, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, and no one can get rid of it. It's actually some good magic," she replied, sounding impressed.

"Hm. Well, I've got to study. I plan on passing all my O.W.L.s this year."

**Chapter 93**

Over the next few weeks nothing deterred me from studying every spare moment, except perhaps the final Quidditch match of the year which I went to go see. To everyone's amazement Gryffindor won the House Cup, thanks to Ron Weasley who had become an excellent Keeper since his brother's left.

The first O.W.L. exam took place one morning after breakfast. The fifth years all waited in the entrance hall until they called us forward into the Great Hall. It was arranged exactly as I had seen it in the Pensieve and I felt strangely calm as I took a seat at one of the desks. I looked down at my exam paper with renewed concentration and began.

After lunch we had our practical examination in Charms and I was pretty sure I had achieved an 'Outstanding'. My levitation Charm had been flawless and I had turned a rat purple without incident. As soon as I finished my practical exam I hurried upstairs to study for Transfiguration the next morning.

My other exams all went smoothly and on Thursday we had Defense Against the Dark Arts. I felt certain I had not missed a single question on my written exam and during the practical exam I took great pride in performing a number of counterjinxes and defensive spells that Snape taught me. Umbridge looked surprisingly pleased.

"See, Casper," she whispered as I left the hall afterwards, "I told you that if you studied hard enough you could perform the spells."

I resisted the urge to punch her in the face and smiled at her.

I walked out of the Great Hall, still smiling to myself. I went, without really thinking about where I was going, and sat down in the shadow of a clump of bushes were Snape had sat when I saw him in the Pensieve, after his own Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Curious, I glanced over at the tree where I had seen James Potter, Black, Lupin, and Wormtail sitting. Harry Potter, Weasley, and Granger were all sitting around the tree, studying for their next exam.

On Monday we had our Potions exam and I also felt certain I managed an 'Outstanding' owl. I'd done extremely well in both the written and practical exams.

We had a Divination practical exam one afternoon and we were going to have an Astronomy exam later that night when we could see the sky. I walked up the staircase to the Astronomy tower and found myself behind Potter and Weasley, who were discussing their exam.

"We shouldn't have taken the stupid subject in the first place," said Potter gloomily.

"Still, at least we can give it up now," Weasley replied.

"Yeah," Potter said, "No more pretending we care what happens when Jupiter and Uranus get too friendly…"

"And from now on I don't care if my tea leaves spell _die, Ron, die- _I'm just chucking them in the bin where they belong," Weasley said. I had to hang back a moment to have a laugh at that.

Halfway through my Astronomy exam I heard a loud BANG from the grounds. Almost everyone looked down towards Hagrid's hut where the door had burst open. Seven people walked out, one of them Hagrid. The other six seemed to be trying to stun him, though the spells were bouncing off him.

"No!" cried Granger from a little ways away from me.

"My dear! This is an examination!" said Professor Tofty, the overseer of our exams. No one was paying him any attention. Cries and yells were echoing across the grounds.

"Be reasonable, Hagrid!" cried a loud voice.

"Reasonable be damned, yeh won't take me like this, Dawlish!" Hagrid roared. The doors to the castle opened, flooding the grounds with light.

"How dare you!" shouted the voice, "How _dare _you!"

It was Professor McGonagall.

"Leave him alone! _Alone, _I say!" she continued, "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant scuh-"

No fewer than four Stunners flew straight at McGonagall and hit her dead in the chest. Three of the Gryffindor girls screamed.

"My God," I murmured. I had always been fond of McGonagall, even though she and Snape barely spoke to each other. She was a strict teacher, but a good teacher. For a moment she looked luminous, illuminated by an eerie red glow, then she flew backwards, landed on her back, and moved no more.

"Galloping gargoyles!" shouted Professor Tofty, forgetting the exam, "Not so much as a warning! Outrageous behavior!"

"COWARDS!" bellowed Hagrid, "RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O' THAT- AN' THAT-"

He swung out, knocking two of his attackers out cold. He grabbed his dog, Fang, who had been knocked out by the Stunners, and ran to the gate. There was a long silence in which I felt sort of numb.

"Um…five minutes to go, everybody…" said Professor Tofty feebly. I hastened to complete my star chart.

Our last exam was History of Magic. I was doing quite well until Potter, who had fallen asleep, awoke with a yell, clutching his scar. Professor Tofty led him out into the entrance hall. I knew that Potter clutching his scar could mean nothing good. _Probably something to do with the Dark Lord, _I thought to myself. And I found myself very impatient for the exam to hurry up and get done with.

As soon as the exams were over I went down to Snape's office, but he wasn't there. Feeling slightly annoyed I resolved myself to wait for him. I sat down in his chair, drumming my fingers impatiently on his desk. He arrived an hour later and looked alarmed to find me sitting behind his desk.

"Potter had some sort of dream during our History of Magic exam," I said quickly, "I really have no idea what's going on but he was clutching his scar which made me thing it may have something to do with the Dark-"

A knock on the door interrupted us and Snape, thinking quickly, tapped me on the head with his wand to Disillusion me before telling the interrupter to enter. It was Draco Draco. He looked slightly tussled, but excited at the same time.

"Professor Umbridge wants to see you in her office, sir," Draco said eagerly.

"Very well," Snape said lazily, following Draco out the door. I followed as well.

When we reached the office Draco held the door open for Snape and I slipped in as well. Six members of the Inquisitorial Squad held six, struggling students, most of whom were Gryffindors, one of which was Potter.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" Snape asked, glancing around the room with complete indifference.

"Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, smiling widely, "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said, observing her coolly, "Surely you did not use it all? I told you three drops would be sufficient."

I blinked my eyes once, surprised at how easily he had lied to her. I had still picked it up, but Umbridge had not because she didn't possess a hypersensitivity to lies. She had blushed, however.

"You can make some more, can't you?" she asked, her voice becoming more girlish and sweet. _Is she trying to woo him? _I wondered to myself, _If she is, she's an idiot. _A cold annoyance filled me nonetheless.

"Certainly," said Snape, his lip curling, "It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A month?" Umbridge squaked, her girlish demeanor fading, "A _month_? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really?" said Snape, looking faintly interested, "Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules."

I smirked slightly.

"I wish to interogate him!" Umbridge shouted angrily, "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you," said Snape smoothly, "that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter- and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did- I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling…"

It was almost impossible for me to stifle my laughter, but I promised myself to laugh at it later.

"You are on probation!" shrieked Umbridge, and Snape looked back at her, eyebrows slightly raised, "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of office!"

Snape bowed ironically and turned to leave.

"He's got Padfoot!" Potter shouted desperately, "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

Snape paused with his hand on the door handle.

"Padfoot?" cried Umbridge, looking eagerly around, "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

Snape turned around and looked at Potter, his face unreadable.

"I have no idea," said Snape coldly, "Potter, when I was nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little, if Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if you ever apply for a job."

I hurried out of the room with Snape and he closed the door behind him with a snap. He took off walking quickly towards the stairs.

"What's going on? Who is Padfoot?" I asked quickly.

"He means Black. Potter's had a vision of the Dark Lord with Black in the Department of Mysteries," he replied shortly.

"What are you going to do?" I asked as we reached his office and he shut the door behind us. He sat down at his desk and pulled out a bit of parchment.

"I'm going to send a message to headquarters to verify that Black is there," he replied absently as he wrote something hastily.

"What-? Oh…you think the Dark Lord may be planting false images in his mind," I realized.

"Exactly."

He finished writing and tapped the parchment with his wand. It disappeared. A few minutes later a different piece of parchment appeared and Snape read it quickly.

"Black is at headquarters. I was right," he said, eyes gleaming.

We hurried back towards Umbridge's office but by the time we got there the door was ajar and empty except for the members of the Inquisitorial Squad, most of whom had been hit with Stunning Spells. Draco had giant flying things attacking his face.

"Damn that Potter," I heard Snape mutter. He managed to reverse the spell damage done to all of the Inquisitorial Squad.

"Where is the Headmistress?" Snape asked Draco.

"She went off with Potter into the forest, along with that Mudblood, Granger," Draco replied shakily, "They said something about Dumbledore's secret weapon. We saw them go into the forest through the window."

"Alright, I'll take care of it. You all can go. I believe there is a feast in the Great Hall to celebrate the end of the exams," Snape said to them, not bothering to reprimand Draco for his use of the offensive term. They all left the room.

"How thick do you have to be to believe Potter and go into the forest?" I muttered, peering out the window, "And what's that rubbish about a secret weapon?"

"Potter must have something stupid planned to get away from Umbridge. We can only wait and see if he comes out of the forest alive."

**Chapter 94**

We waited for an extremely long time, looking out the window in Umbridge's office. When nobody reappeared after almost an hour we gave up.

"I'll have to alert the Order. Potter's probably found a way to get to the Ministry of Magic," Snape said, searching Umbridge's desk for a piece of parchment. Unfortunately all of Umbridge's parchment was pink and perfume-scented. He held it up disgustedly.

"Does she _not _have any _normal _parchment at all?" he said, annoyed.

"I suppose not," I said with a faint smile, "But I suggest you not write a note to the Order on a piece of pink perfumed paper. You may never hear the end of it."

"I wasn't going to," he retorted irritably, and we went back to his office. He quickly scribbled a note to the Order and moments later received one in response. They exchanged notes for about 10 minutes before Snape got to his feet.

"Four members of the Order are going to the Ministry. I'm going to search the forest," he informed me.

"I'm going, too," I said quickly, drawing my wand. He regarded me silently for a moment.

"You said yourself that I know more spells than most seventh-year students," I reminded him, remembering the conversation I had once witnessed in a dream between him and Dumbledore.

"Yes, I suppose I did say that. Alright, come along," he said, sweeping me towards the door.

We left the castle and strode into the forest. I had lifted my Disillusionment Charm and had my own wand out in front of me. We were both using the _Lumos _spell to light our wands as we searched the dark trees. We'd been searching for nearly 15 minutes when I heard the sound of rushing hooves.

"Severus? What is that sound?" I asked quietly. He listened intently for a moment and then his face paled slightly.

"The centaurs," he whispered hoarsely. Within moments a herd of nearly 50 centaurs had us surrounded. Many had their bows strung and pointed at us.

"_Whatever you do, don't use magic against them,_" Snape warned me silently. I nodded my head to show I understood.

"We do not allow your kind in our part of the forest, human!" bellowed one of the large, male centaurs.

"I am merely searching for two of the students from the school. I believe they came in here earlier, with a woman from the Ministry of Magic," Snape said smoothly.

"The children are gone and the woman is with us," said the quiet, doleful voice of one of the other centaurs.

"Gone?" Snape repeated.

"You have no business here," said the angry centaur, "Be gone."

"Wait a moment. He has a human foal with him," said the quiet one, and he walked over to look at me.

"She's not so young," said the leader dismissively, "Drive them away, Ronan!"

"Bane, look! Do you see who she is?" said the centaur who was named Ronan in quiet amazement and something that looked like it might be fear, shining in his eyes. He backed away from me, as did a few of the others, stamping their hooves nervously.

"Best to stomp out the flame before it feeds the fire," said the leader, Bane, and he reared at me. I cringed and closed my eyes, knowing that any moment I would feel his hooves crush me, but I didn't. I heard a loud thud and I opened my eyes in time to see Snape fall to the ground. He had stood between me and the centaurs at the last moment and prevented me from being harmed. His eyes were open and he looked slightly dazed. I felt my knees go weak and I fell to the ground beside him. Bane reared again but the centaur named Ronan stopped him.

"Stop, Bane. It is not our place to interfere with the world of humans. You've punished the man for coming here, so let them return to their own herd," said Ronan.

"We'll leave the forest," I cried to the herd and Bane continued to look at me sternly.

"Very well. Be gone. You must not return to this forest, Casper Addams," said Bane, then he thundered off and the herd followed him. I bent over Snape, trying to see if he was even alive, when I noticed that one of the centaurs had remained. It was the one named Ronan.

"He will be okay," Ronan assured me, looking down at Snape, "But you should take him from this forest immediately."

"O-okay," I said shakily, "How…how did the other centaur know my name?"

He went oddly silent and looked up at the sky where a few stars twinkled oddly.

"We read many things in the stars, Casper Addams. Surely Firenze has taught you this?"

"Yes. He also said your herd banished him," I said quietly.

"For having contact with humans and promising to teach at the school…it is frowned upon," Ronan replied, "take the other and leave the forest. I must go now."

Then Ronan trotted off into the forest, following his herd. Snape had managed to get himself into a sitting position.

"Are you okay?" I asked him anxiously.

"Fine. Just had the breath knocked out of me. Let's get out of here," he sad quietly.

He could barely walk and I allowed him to lean on my shoulder as we made our way back to the castle. We went to his office and he sat down at his desk wearily.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to go to the Hospital Wing?" I asked for the third time.

"Casper, I'm fine," he insisted, but I could tell he was lying.

"And you said I was stubborn," I said irritably, "I know you're lying to me."

He didn't respond for a few minutes.

"Hand me that," he said, pointing to a small bottle on one of the shelves. I handed it to him and he drank it quickly.

"I'll be fine," he assured me, "you should go off to bed now."

I hesitated for a few minutes, wondering if he really _would _be alright, but I hadn't detected a lie so I gave in. I walked towards the door, but paused and turned around before leaving.

"Thanks, Severus," I said quietly. He looked curious for a moment but then smirked slightly.

"It's just like I said earlier- student deaths make for tedious paperwork. Don't make a big deal out of it," he said snidely. I shook my head and smiled slightly before leaving.

**Chapter 95**

The next morning when we went up to breakfast Dumbledore had returned and Umbridge was gone. Everyone looked a little more cheerful than usual, except the caretaker Filch and the members of the Inquisitorial Squad.

_What's going on? What happened? _I asked Snape in my head as I passed the staff table on the way to the Slytherin table.

"_There was a big showdown at the Ministry of Magic between the Order and the Dark Lord. I'll tell you about it later," _he replied.

After breakfast I left the table and followed Snape down to his classroom. Our classes had been cancelled for the day, though almost no one knew why. Potter and his friends hadn't been at breakfast and no one seemed to know what had happened.

"So what happened?" I asked as I sat down in the chair across from Snape's desk.

"There was a big fight. A few Death Eaters got put in Azkaban and Sirius Black was killed," he replied, "but Dumbledore showed up in the end and saved Potter from the Dark Lord. The good news is that the Minister saw the Dark Lord before he disappeared, so now everyone in the wizarding world is going to know and start taking necessary precautions before-…"

"Before what?" I asked quietly.

"Before things get a lot worse," he said finally, "now that everyone knows the Dark Lord is back he won't be so keen on hiding anymore."

"So…people are going to start dying?"

"Most likely."

I felt my face pale slightly.

"Which Death Eaters got put in Azkaban?" I inquired.

"Well, Lucius Malfoy for one-" Snape said, not looking at all happy.

"Draco's father?" I asked, amazed.

"Yes, though I daresay those who were captured will be out soon enough. The dementors are no longer under Ministry control. Your dream alone proves that. You said that the dementors moved out of the way when the Death Eaters went to Azkaban to break out the others."

"I just assumed they'd used a Patronus or something that I didn't see."

Snape observed me carefully for a moment.

"I am the only Death Eater who can produce a Patronus. The Dark Lord himself cannot create one," he said shortly.

"Really?" I said, slightly interested.

"Yes. Of course, they have no need for Patronuses when the dementors are on their side."

"Good point. Do you think that people will really believe he's back? After all the lies the newspaper's fed them over the past year…"

"I believe they plan to print something in the newspaper. They'll probably send out guides in defense as well. They did last time," he replied quietly.

"Last time," I repeated, thinking back to everything I had learned about the Dark Lord's last reign of terror, "Will it be as bad as last time?"

He hesitated slightly.

"Worse, maybe. The Dark Lord wants revenge against those who betrayed him, those who ridiculed him…most of all he wants Potter."

"Why? What's so special about Potter?"

"Dunno," he said, looking away from me. He was lying, but I didn't really care.

The next few weeks seemed to pass by in a haze. Dumbledore had strode single-handedly into the forest first thing that morning and rescued Umbridge from the centaurs without receiving a scratch. Umbridge was now up in the hospital wing, along with Weasley and Granger who'd both been at the Ministry and received substantial injuries. Professor McGonagall returned from St. Mungo's hospital, walking with a cane, but just as strict as ever.

Umbridge left Hogwarts the day before the end of term. She'd snuck out of the hospital wing during dinnertime, hoping to sneak away unnoticed, but she met Peeves the poltergeist on the way out. Peeves had borrowed McGonagall's cane and was beating Umbridge with it as he chased her out of the castle. Most of the students, including myself, ran out onto the grounds to cheer Peeves on. The Heads of Houses didn't really try to restrain us. Indeed, Professor McGonagall simply sat back in her chair, smiling. Snape told me later she had voiced her desire to join in the cheering but couldn't because Peeves had taken her cane.

The last day of the term dawned brightly. I spent most of my day packing up all of my things. It took me a while to locate Gabriel who was chasing mice around the dungeon, and shut him in his cage. Then everyone boarded the train home. Jen remarked that I was being 'oddly quiet' and I made up some excuse about my stomach hurting. The truth was I didn't want to leave Hogwarts. I felt safe at Hogwarts, safer than I had ever felt anywhere else, and I didn't want to go back to the Muggle household where there was no magical protection.

When I got off the train I said good-bye to Jen and walked through the magical barrier. Anthony, Amy, and Dylan were all standing there waiting for me, smiling brightly as if they hadn't a concern in the world. They didn't know that things were about to change, in my world and in theirs.


	6. Book 6

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to all you who have commented, I luvs you guys! You make me feel so special! 3 I promised I would update soon and I have. So please, read on and continue reviewing for me. Thanks!**

**~Vampyre**

_1 Month Later_

**Chapter 96**

The afternoon was growing later and I kept peering hopefully out of my bedroom window before sinking back onto the bed, disappointed. My O.W.L. exams results were supposed to come today and I had been peering out the window every half an hour since I woke up. After sinking back onto my bed for what felt like the thousandth time I scooped up the leaflet that I had abandoned an hour or two earlier. It had come in the mail a few weeks ago and I had continued to skim it for information. It was supposed to help protect your family and home from Death Eaters.

**---ISSUED ON BEHALF OF---**

**The Ministry of Magic**

**PROTECTING YOUR HOME AND FAMILY**

**AGAINST DARK FORCES**

The Wizarding community is currently under threat from an organization calling itself Death Eaters. Observing the following simple security guidelines will help protect you, your family, and your home from attack.

1. You are advised not to leave the house alone.

2. Particular care should be taken during hours of darkness. Whenever possible, arrange to complete journeys before night has fallen.

3. Review security arrangements around your house, making sure that all family members are aware of emergency measures such as Shield and Disillusionment Charms, and, in the case of underage family members, Side-Along-Apparition.

4. Agree on security questions with close friends and family so as to detect Death Eaters masquerading as others by use of the Polyjuice Potion (see Page 2).

5. Should you feel that a family member, colleague, friend, or neighbor is acting in a strange manner, contact the Magical Law Enforcement Squad at once. They may have been put under the Imperius Curse (see page 4)

6. Should the Dark Mark appear over any dwelling place or other building, DO NOT ENTER, but contact the Auror office immediately.

7. Unconfirmed sightings suggest that the Death Eaters _may _now be using Inferi (see page 10). Any sighting of an Inferius, or encounter with the same, should be reported to the Ministry IMMEDIATELY.

I tossed the leaflet aside, feeling more annoyed and depressed than I had before picking it up. I hated being the only magical person in the household. I didn't count Dylan, of course, because he was still young. Also, I hadn't had the guts to voice my suspicions to Anthony, though Amy seemed to know something was amiss. At the very least her eyes no longer darted to me if a broken toy was mended automatically. She overlooked such things.

I hadn't bothered with any of the safety precautions in the Ministry leaflet. I didn't honestly think a Death Eater would bother impersonating a Muggle, or in Anthony's case A Squib. Also, I felt certain if a Death Eater was targeting me, Snape would let me know, one way or another. I peered out the window once more and my heart soared.

On the distant horizon of the grey, cloudy sky, was a single barn owl. I looked down at the street, which was almost completely obscured by a fog that hadn't lifted in well over a week. There were no Muggles on the street below so I threw open my window as the owl approached, letting in a slight chill. It had been abnormally cold since the fog came, and I had taken to wearing a thin, long-sleeved shirt, even when I was inside.

The owl landed on my window sill and I removed the envelope that was attached to its leg. The owl hooted once and flew away. I shut my window against the cold and then, sitting back on my bed, ripped open the envelope.

**Ordinary Wizarding Level Results**

_**Pass Grades **____**Fail Grades**_

Outstanding (O) Poor (P)

Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)

Acceptable (A) Troll (T)

_**Casper Arbok Addams has achieved:**_

Arithmancy O

Astronomy O

Care of Magical Creatures E

Charms O

Defense Against the Dark Arts O

Divination O

Herbology O

History of Magic E

Potions O

Transfiguration O

I felt absolutely thrilled as I read the parchment a second time. I hadn't failed anything at all. I'd gotten eight Outstanding and two Exceeds Expectations. I got to my feet and hurried downstairs to show Amy and Anthony, both of whom said they were extremely proud of me.

**Chapter 97**

My booklist from Hogwarts arrived a few weeks later and I spent the next few days eagerly expecting Snape to show up any minute. He didn't arrive. I told myself that if he didn't show up by Saturday I'd try to send him a letter.

Saturday morning dawned just as bleak, grey, and misty as all the days before it. I took a quick shower and dressed in jeans and my thin, long-sleeved, black shirt before traipsing downstairs in search of something to eat. The clock on the stove said it was nearing 11:00am. A note on the counter from Amy told me that they had taken Dylan to the doctor because he'd been coughing really badly since the mist came. I grabbed a donut from a bag on the counter and went back upstairs.

I opened my bedroom door and nearly choked on the piece of donut I'd just bitten off. There, sitting on my bed and reading the Ministry leaflet, was Snape. He looked up when I entered and smiled wryly.

"What are you eating?" he asked me.

"A donut," I replied, "Want some?"

He eyed the half-eaten donut in my hand and shook his head no.

"I was just reading this," he said, indicating the booklet, "It's not very helpful, is it?"

I shook my head. I caught sight of security guideline number four and looked up at him.

"Should we have a security question? So I know that you're not a Death Eater come to murder me?" I asked him. He raised an eyebrow and I realized I'd just said something completely stupid.

"Well, you know what I mean," I said quickly, "An evil Death Eater."

"You think I'm not evil?" he said, corners of his mouth twitching. I scowled at him slightly and he smiled.

"I think that you would be able to pick it up as a lie if I were a different Death Eater impersonating myself. For instance, if I were Bellatrix Lestrange impersonating me, then if I were to say to you 'I am Severus Snape' you would pick it up as a lie," he said to me.

"Okay, that makes sense…I think. How d'you know _I'm _not a Death Eater, then?" I inquired. He frowned slightly and thought for a moment.

"How about I ask you a question only you'd know the answer to?"

"Alright," I said with a shrug. There was a moments silence as he thought of a question.

"Which one of the Triwizard Champions did you turn down when he asked you to the Yule Ball?" he asked finally.

"Cedric Diggory," I said, blushing faintly, "but anyone could have known that."

"Well, I'll use a different question in the future. We need to go to Diagon Alley before it gets too late," he said, checking his watch, "I've got important things to do."

"I can't. Amy and Anthony took Dylan to the doctor. He's been sick ever since this wretched fog came," I said, peering out the window.

"It's the dementors causing the fog. They're breeding."

"Breeding?" I asked, disgusted.

"Yes. Can't you just leave a note for your cousin?"

"I suppose so…" I said slowly.

After grabbing my book list and money pouch I went downstairs, Snape following me. He waited patiently while I scribbled a quick note to Amy explaining that I'd be back later this afternoon.

"So, how're we getting to Diagon Alley?" I inquired curiously.

"Well we can use Floo Powder now that the Ministry is on good terms with Dumbledore again," he replied, walking towards the fireplace. He used his wand to start a fire.

"Yes, I read about the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour. It didn't say what happened to Fudge though. Does he still work at the Ministry?"

"He's Scrimgeour's advisor now. You first."

Snape pulled a small pouch out of his pocket and tossed a handful of glittering powder into the fire. I took a deep breath and stepped into the warm flames.

"Diagon Alley," I said clearly. I spun around for a moment and then stepped out to the inside of the Leaky Cauldron. I turned back to face the grate as Snape also stepped out.

We walked along the bleak, but crowded streets of Diagon Alley. Many of the shops had been closed down, including Ollivander's and the ice cream shop I'd gone to a few times last year.

"What happened to them?" I asked curiously.

"Dragged off by Death Eaters," Snape mumbled darkly. I simply stared at him and he avoided my eyes. Many of the once cheerful windows were covered with bleak Ministry posters, including life-sized moving pictures of escaped Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange.

"She doesn't like me very much," Snape remarked as we paused to look at her poster outside the Apothecary.

"Why not?"

"She doesn't trust me."

"Smart girl," I said coolly. He frowned and looked as if he'd quite like to hit me, but thought better of it.

"Come on. You've got to get potion ingredients, don't you?" he said, opening the door to the Apothecary.

"Of course."

"Oh! I didn't tell you, did I?"

"Tell me what?" I asked curiously.

"I got the Defense Against the Dark Arts job," he said with a faint note of triumph in his voice. I gaped at him for a moment and then squealed delightedly.

"Way to go! So who's teaching Potions?"

"Dumbledore's brought the old Potions master out of retirement, Professor Horace Slughorn. It was he who taught Potions when I was at school," he replied.

"Is he a good teacher?" I inquired.

"Good enough. He mostly likes students who are well-connected to famous people."

"Oh. He'll probably have a field day when he meets Potter."

"Hm."

We headed towards Flourish and Blotts after the Apothecary. There was a shabby looking stall set out in front of the bookstore with a large, cardboard sign pinned to the front that said: **AMULETS; Effective against Werewolves, Dementors, and Inferi.**

"What's an Inferius?" I asked, recalling the Ministry pamphlet.

"An Inferius is a corpse that has been reanimated by a Dark wizard to do their bidding. The Dark Lord used them last time, he may plan on using them again," he replied. As we passed the wizard behind the stall he held out a silver chain with an odd symbol on it.

"Protect your daughter against dementors, sir? Only one Galleon," said the sales-wizard to Snape.

"I'm not his daughter," I snapped at the man, "And I'm perfectly capable of casting a Patronus!"

Snape chuckled quietly as entered the shop, leaving the stunned wizard behind us.

When we left Flourish and Blotts the sales-wizard didn't even look up at us. We were walking down the street when a bright sign caught my eye. It was sign on the front window of Fred and George Weasley's joke shop. It had bright, flashing, yellow letters that spelled out:

**WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT**

**YOU-KNOW-WHO?**

**YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT**

**U-NO-POO-**

**THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION**

**THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION**

I couldn't help myself, I burst out laughing. Snape read the sign three or four times before grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me away from the shop.

"It's only a matter of time before they're murdered," he said, looking up and down the street as if he expected his fellow Death Eaters to swoop down upon the little shop which was crammed with people.

"Lighten up, Severus, it's just a joke," I said, massaging my wrist where he had grabbed me. He continued to frown at me and said nothing.

We stopped at Madam Malkin's to get my robes adjusted, thanks to another wonderful growth spurt of about two inches. I even got my dress robes fixed, though I didn't know why I bothered.

"You don't have to come in here with me, you know," I said to Snape as we went into Madam Malkin's.

"I do, actually. No one is supposed to be out and about by themselves," he said shortly.

"Afraid some other random Death Eater's going to come and snatch me up?" I murmured, smirking slightly.

"Something like that," he replied with no trace of a smile.

**Chapter 98**

A while later we were walking back towards the Leaky Cauldron when a pale-faced, blonde-haired witch approached Snape. Her eyes were red as if she'd been crying and her hair was unkempt.

"Severus? Have you seen Draco around anywhere?" she asked, sounding a little frantic.

"No, I have not. I was just escorting Casper to get her school supplies," he replied, gesturing towards me. She barely glanced at me.

"Lovely, lovely. If you see him, do let him know I'm looking for him, won't you?"

Then she walked off. I stared after her with a look of contempt and disgust.

"Who was that?" I asked Snape.

"Narcissa Malfoy. Draco's mother," he replied quietly.

"She looks a little…frazzled," I said slowly, "What's up with her?"

"Well her husband's in jail, so…" he trailed off and made a dismissive gesture with his hand. I got the impression that there was something he wasn't telling me.

"What-?"

"Don't ask me about it, Casper," he said in a low voice, "…Please."

"Alright," I said, taken aback, "Since it's you and you said please. I'll keep my mouth shut."

He smiled briefly and then we continued on our way back to the Leaky Cauldron. He sent my books and things ahead with a tap of his wand.

"This is where we part, Casper," he said as he drew the pouch of Floo Powder out of his pocket, "See you on September 1st."

"Right," I said, taking a fistful of the glittering powder. I tossed in the powder and the flames turned green.

"Good-bye, then," I said awkwardly and he smiled again. I took a deep breath before stepping into the flames.

On September 1st Anthony drove me to the train station. I had my trunk packed and Gabriel was sleeping soundly in his cage. Anthony walked with me to the barrier and then we paused.

"Well…I guess this is good-bye," he said, hugging me.

"Only for a bit."

"I dunno…it feels like I might never see you again," he said gruffly, trying to keep emotion from his voice.

"Of course you'll see me again," I said lightly, "Don't be silly."

"Yeah. You're right. Well, have a good term and try not to get kidnapped by Death Eaters," he said with a faint smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. I smiled faintly and walked through the barrier.

"Hey Casper!" said a loud voice. I turned to see Jen walking towards me with Aaron the owl shut in the cage she was carrying.

"Hey Jen. Where's your mom?" I asked, frowning.

"Gone," she said dismissively, "how was your summer?"

"Good, I suppose. Getting used to the fog took a while, though."

"Yeah. Let's get on the train and find a compartment," she said brightly.

We'd found a compartment all to ourselves by the time the train pulled out of the station a while later.

"So what'd you do this summer?" I asked as we settled down.

"My granddad insisted on taking me fishing. Can you believe it? We had to stay in a Muggle campsite," she said indignantly.

"Was it that bad?" I asked sympathetically.

"Well…it wasn't _all _bad," she said slowly, "I did meet a cute guy."

"A _Muggle_?" I asked, unable to keep the disdain out of my voice.

"Maybe…you should've seen him, Casper, he was gorgeous! He had these bright blue eyes and long brown hair! He was American," she said with a giggle, "visiting _his _grandparents, as well."

"What was his name?"

"Edward."

"And what did you and Edward _do_?" I asked, smirking.

"We went out in his granddad's boat a few times…at night…"

I spent the rest of the train ride listening to Jen telling me about her Muggle companion. When the train pulled to a stop at the station in Hogsmeade I was more than happy to get off and hurry my way over to the carriages.

"I'm _starving_," I said, to avoid further discussion of the Muggle, "I hope the sorting doesn't take too long."

"Yeah, me too. I feel like I haven't eaten in days," she replied as the carriage took off towards the school. The weather seemed to have gotten colder since we boarded the train and the stars were twinkling brightly in the night sky. Before any of us could go into the castle Mr. Filch, the caretaker, searched us all with a thin, golden rod he claimed was a Secrecy Sensor. He took a number of odd things from Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Jen and I made our way into the castle and took our seats at the Slytherin table. Draco, who was sitting with Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson was murmuring a story to them and they were all laughing loudly. Feeling rather bored I let my eyes wander up to the staff table. I immediately spotted the man who must be Professor Slughorn. He was a fat, bald man who resembled a walrus.

The Sorting had just started when, unnoticed by anyone but me, a large silver animal floated through the back wall. It was a Patronus and it seemed to be delivering a message to Snape, who was listening to it intently. He stood up to go. Quietly as I could I secretively tapped myself with my wand and put on my Disillusionment Charm. Silently I walked past the house tables and followed Snape out the door, which he graciously held open for me. He took a lantern out of the entrance hall and walked out onto the grounds.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

"_Shh…don't speak out loud,_" he warned inside of my head, "_Potter was late and needs to be let in._"

_So I get to see you torturing him? _I thought gleefully. He looked slightly bemused.

"_Yes._"

Ten feet away from the gate we could see Harry Potter standing with a woman who had mousy brown hair and looked about as cheerful as Narcissa Malfoy.

"Well, well, well," Snape sneered as he tapped his wand on the chain that bound the gates and they began to come undone, "Nice of you to turn up, Potter, although you have evidently decided that the wearing of school robes would distract from your appearance."

"I couldn't change, I didn't have my-" Potter began.

"There is no need to wait, Nymphadora, Potter is quite- ah- safe in my hands," Snape said to the brown-haired woman.

"I meant Hagrid to get the message," the woman replied, frowning.

"Hagrid was late for the start-of-term feast, just like Potter here, so I took it instead. And incidentally, I was interested to see your new Patronus."

Snape moved aside to let Potter pass and then shut the gate. He tapped the chain with his wand and it locked itself again.

"I think you were better off with the old one," said Snape maliciously, "The new one looks weak."

There was a fleeting look of shock and anger on the woman's face, which I only saw briefly because Snape turned the light away.

"Good night," Potter called over his shoulder to her, "Thanks for…everything."

"See you, Harry," the woman said miserably.

_Patronuses can change shape? _I thought curiously.

"_Yes. Sometimes due to a… heavy emotional blow._"

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for lateness, I think," Snape said aloud to Potter, "And, let me see, another twenty for your Muggle attire. You know, I don't believe any house has ever been in negative figures this early in the term: We haven't even started pudding. You might have set a record, Potter."

Potter didn't say anything but his fury was apparent. Snape savored his taunting for a moment before continuing.

"I suppose you wanted to make an entrance, did you?" Snape continued, "And with no flying car available you decided that bursting into the Great Hall halfway through the feast ought to create a dramatic effect."

Potter still didn't speak. We walked up the steps and through the doors. They paused in the entrance hall where Potter was thinking he might could slip on his invisibility cloak.

"No cloak. You can walk in so that everyone sees you, which is what you wanted, I'm sure," Snape said to him. Furious Potter stomped away through the open doors.

"I'd like to have a word with you after the feast," Snape murmured to me.

"Alright," I replied, slightly surprised. I slipped through the door and down to the Slytherin Table. Every eye in the room was on Potter so I went unnoticed as I removed my Disillusionment Charm and began to load food onto my plate.

A while later Dumbledore got to his feet to address the room as soon as the plates were cleared.

"The very best of evenings to you," he said, smiling with his arms open wide. Everyone in the room saw his blackened hand.

"What happened to his hand?" Casper gasped, as did everyone else in the hall.

"I dunno…" I whispered, eyes wide.

"It looks dead."

"It looks as if it's been cursed," I said slowly.

"Be sure and ask Snape about it later," she whispered as Dumbledore merely smiled and shook his sleeve down over the injury.

"Nothing to worry about," he said lightly, "Now…to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you. Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of the staff this year. Professor Slughorn is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

The while hall broke out in muttering as everyone was unsure if they'd heard right. I merely smiled.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile, will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore continued over the noise. The Slytherin Table broke out in cheers and applause. I clapped loudly as Jen punched me lightly in the shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"It was a surprise," I replied, smiling brightly. Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly and the chatter began to die out. He waited until there was absolute silence before continuing.

"Now, as everybody in this hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength. I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them- in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of bed after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety.

"But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say goodnight. Pip pip!"

**Chapter 99**

As the Great Hall began to empty I made my way to the staff table where Snape was waiting for me.

"What'd you want to talk to me about?" I asked as we left the Great Hall together.

"Shh. Not here. Wait till we're in my office," he said quietly. I nodded my head and was silent until we'd made our way to his office and he'd shut the door behind us.

"So, what's up?" I asked as I flopped down in the chair across from him desk.

"I'd like you to do something for me this term," he said, sitting down in his chair.

"What?" I asked cautiously.

"I'd like you to follow Draco Malfoy and see what he's up to. Let me know where he goes and who he goes there with."

"Why?" I asked, slightly startled.

"It's not important why. Will you do it?" he asked quietly. I hesitated slightly and recalled, vividly, what happened the night of the Yule Ball between Draco and myself. I hadn't spoken to him since…

"Oh," Snape said quite suddenly, standing up. I knew from the look on his face that he'd seen the memory in my mind when I remembered it. I stood up as well, feeling awkward, I turned away from him.

"That's why you called out to me after the Yule Ball…you never told me," he said quietly. I glanced at him. There was a look on his face that was mixture of sympathy towards me and anger towards Draco.

"I never told anybody," I mumbled, turning away from him again. Then he did something that I did not expect- he walked over and wrapped his arms around me! Startled, I accepted his embrace. He felt so wonderfully warm…

He let me go quite suddenly and I could feel myself blushing faintly. He let out a sigh.

"I do wish you hadn't let me see that, Casper," he said, referring to the memory about Draco, "It makes my job a lot more difficult."

"What job? From the Dark Lord…or from Dumbledore?" I asked curiously.

"Neither. I made a promise to his mother."

"Since when do _you _make or keep promises?" I asked, scoffing, "…why not just break your promise if it bothers you?"

"I can't. I made the Unbreakable Vow," he said, sounding slightly bitter.

"Well that's convenient," I said sarcastically, "I'm not going to ask you to die on my behalf. I have no problem with following Draco for you."

"…thank you…"

"No problem. I'll try to get in good with Draco and his group. I'll be a spy," I said suddenly, smiling slightly, "So I'll be using you as inspiration."

"Hmph," he said, slightly amused, "So how do you plan on getting in with Malfoy?"

"I have my ways," I replied mysteriously, still smiling.

"Don't do anything stupid or dangerous."

"Nice to know you have so much faith in me," I said sarcastically.

"Well you don't see me asking anyone else to do this, do you? Besides…if I can't trust you, who can I trust? I just don't want you to get hurt."

"touching," I said, sneering to keep the emotion out of my voice, "but your concern is wasted. I'm not an idiot, Severus, you don't have to worry about me…actually, it can get a bit annoying. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Of course you are," he said, waving his hand dismissively in a way he knew would annoy me. I saw the corners of his mouth twitch slightly. I scowled at him, but there was no way I was going to let him know how much his concern meant to me.

"So why can't you tell me _why _I have to follow the little creep?" I asked, changing the subject, "if it's just a promise you made to his mom. It's not like you're on some Top Secret mission for Dumbledore or the Dark Lord."

He hesitated slightly.

"I can't tell you because, though it is a promise to his mother, it has to do with both those things. I don't want to drag you in any further than I already have."

"Alright, well why'd you make a promise to his mother? She seemed a bit high-strung to me," I said casually.

"She and her wretched sister came to my house," he said disgustedly, "she was crying and clutching me like she was drowning."

"Sounds revolting," I replied, trying not to envision it.

"It was."

I couldn't help but notice that the corners of his mouth twitched again.

"You should probably go to bed. You've got classes tomorrow," he said indifferently.

"Yes,- oh."

"What?"

"I can't call you 'Potions Master' anymore," I said with a faint note of sadness in my voice. He laughed quietly and shook his head.

"Go to bed, Casper," he said to me.

The next morning I got my course schedule and was pleased to see that my first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. I had a free period first off and another free period after lunch, so after eating breakfast I went back down to the common room. I sat in one of the chairs and, under the pretense of reading my Potions book, watched Draco and his cronies from across the room. I wondered how I was going to get them to trust me when Goyle lumbered over to me.

"Casper? Can I ask you a question?" he asked in his heavy, quiet voice.

"Sure," I said, smiling faintly.

"Well, we need someone to teach us the Impediment Jinx and you're the only person we know who can do it…"

"Sure, I can teach you. Crabbe and Draco, too?"

He nodded his head. He walked back towards Draco and I followed him.

"Oh, good, are you going to help us, Casper?" Draco asked me.

"Yes," I said, nodding my head.

"Good. I thought perhaps…but of course you wouldn't…"

"Do you want to learn now?" I asked him.

"Sure. We have time before Snape's class. Crabbe and Goyle didn't pass their O.W.L.s in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Why didn't you ask me for help?" I asked Goyle, who blushed and shrugged his shoulders.

**Chapter 100**

We practiced the Impediment jinx for the better part of an hour and Draco managed to catch on quicker than Crabbe and Goyle. He'd knocked me flat on my back and as the jinx wore off Goyle helped me to my feet.

"You've got to go to Snape's class now, don't you?" he asked slowly. I nodded my head.

Draco and I walked up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom together and lined up outside of the door with the others, some Slytherin some Gryffindor and some kids whom I'd never seen before and had to assume were either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw.

The classroom door opened and Snape walked out into the corridor. An eerie silence fell over the class.

"Inside," he said. Draco and I walked in and looked around delightedly. Snape had redecorated the room so that it now felt more like the usual dungeon classroom. The curtains had been drawn against the sunlight and the room was lit by candles. Draco and I shared a grin as we looked around at the pictures on the wall. All the pictures showed various curses being used. Many of the people in the pictures were missing body parts or sporting gruesome injuries. Draco sat down in the very back of the room, staring fixatedly at a picture of someone being tortured. I sat down in the front of the room, in the desk closest to Snape's.

"I have not asked you to take out your books," said Snape as he shut the door with a loud snap. Many people dropped their books back into their bags.

"I wish to speak to you, and I want your fullest attention," he continued and no one dared look away as he made his way to the front of the class, "You have had five teachers in this subject so far, I believe. Naturally, these teachers will all have had their own methods and priorities. Given this confusion I am surprised so many of you scraped an O.W.L. in this subject. I shall be even more surprised if all of you manage to keep up with the N.E.W.T. work, which will be much more advanced."

He began to walk around the classroom and many people craned their necks to keep him within view.

"The Dark Arts," said Snape, "are many, varied, and ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible."

A slight chill crept up my spine at the way he was talking about the Dark Arts. There was a tender caress in his voice which I had never heard before. I wasn't the only one who heard it.

"Your defenses," he continued, a little louder, "must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo. These pictures give a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse, feel the Dementor's Kiss, or provoke the aggression of the Inferius."

"Has an Inferius been seen then?" asked a Gryffindor girl in a high-pitched voice, "Is it definite, is he using them?"

"The Dark Lord has used Inferi in the past," Snape said dismissively, "which means you would be well-advised to assume he might use them again. Now…"

He walked towards his desk again, his black robes billowing out behind him. Every eye was still on him.

"…you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of nonverbal spells. What is the advantage of a nonverbal spell?" he asked. Hermione Granger put her hand in the air immediately, but Snape ignored her and looked around the room. His eyes lingered on me for a moment.

"_You know the answer. Raise your hand,_" he said in my mind.

_No…you know I hate answering in class…_I replied nervously, _ask Granger. Maybe she'll get it wrong._

"Very well- Miss Granger?" he asked her curtly.

"Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to perform which gives you a split-second advantage," she said promptly.

"Unless they're using Legilimency," I said quietly, but no one else heard me.

"An answer copied almost word for word from _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six, _but correct in essentials," Snape said dismissively to Granger. Draco snickered in the corner.

"Yes, those who progress to using magic without shouting incantations gain an element of surprise in their spell-casting. Not all wizards can do this, of course; it is a question of concentration and mind power which some-," Snape said, his eyes falling on Potter, "lack."

I smirked, also remembering Potter and Snape's disastrous Occulmency lessons the previous year.

"You will now divide into pairs," Snape went on, "One partner will attempt to jinx the other _without speaking. _The other will attempt to repel the jinx _in equal silence. _Carry on."

As the class began to break into pairs Draco made his way up to me.

"Do you want to work with me?" he asked me.

"Sure," I replied brightly, "but I already know how to do a nonverbal Shield Charm, so I'll do the jinxing."

"Maybe you could show me first?" he asked anxiously, "and I'll get a chance to work on the Impediment Jinx."

I nodded my head in agreement. Snape was watching us with a faintly amused expression as Draco faced me with his wand raised. I raised my wand. Draco's face was screwed up in concentration as he tried to perform a nonverbal spell. He ended up muttering it out of the corner of his mouth.

_Protego, _I thought briskly, waving my wand. A shield of light repelled the jinx back at Draco, who ducked as it flew over his head and hit Longbottom in the back.

"Nice jinx," I complemented Draco as we both watched Longbottom struggle to his feet.

"Thanks," he muttered, "I guess now I have to try the shield."

"I've never performed a nonverbal jinx before. This should be interesting."

We faced each other with our wands raised. Draco again had his face screwed up in concentration.

_Tarantallegra, _I thought, waving my wand. Surprisingly nothing happened.

"_Hm. Well, you did good with a Shield Charm,_" said Snape's voice inside my head. He was still watching us intently.

_I had a good teacher, _I replied, smiling faintly.

"Concentrate, Casper…Malfoy, you too," Snape said out loud.

_I can't concentrate with you in my head, _I retorted as Draco glared at him evilly.

"_You have to really mean the spell for it to work._"

I recalled the night of the Yule Ball and aimed my wand at Draco once more, biting my lip in concentration. _Tarantallegra, _I thought furiously. A jet of light shot out of my wand and flew towards Draco. He muttered Protego at the last minute, giving up on the whole nonverbal concept, and I had to duck as my jinx was reflected.

"Nice jinx," Snape remarked before walking off around the room.

"Maybe I should try the nonverbal shield without you firing jinxes at me," Draco said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Suit yourself."

I held my wand at the ready in case Snape should happen to look back at us, but I wasn't really paying attention to Draco. I was watching as Snape stopped beside Potter and Weasley. Potter had his wand raised and Weasley was trying to perform a nonverbal jinx.

"Pathetic, Weasley," Snape said after watching them for a few minutes, "Here- let me show you-"

He turned his wand on Potter so quickly that Potter forgot himself for a moment and yelled "_Protego!"_

His Shield Charm was so strong that Snape was knocked backwards into a desk. I let out a sharp gasp and had to try really hard not to run over and help him up. Draco, however was smirking.

"I thought you liked Professor Snape, why are you smirking?" I muttered to him.

"I don't like him anymore," he said coolly. We both watched as Snape got to his feet, scowling.

"Do you remember me telling you that we are practicing _nonverbal _spells, Potter?"

"Yes," replied Potter stiffly.

"Yes, _sir,_" Snape corrected menacingly.

"There's no need to call me 'sir', Professor," Potter retorted coolly. There was a collective gasp. Everyone in the room was now watching Snape to see his reaction.

"Detention, Saturday night, my office," said Snape coldly, "I do not take cheek from anyone, Potter…not even '_the Chosen One._'"

**Chapter 101**

Right after Defense Against the Dark Arts I had Transfiguration then it was time for lunch. Jen met me at the lunch table where I was sitting across from Goyle who was sitting beside Draco. She looked very glum.

"What's wrong?" I asked her curiously.

"I just had a potions class with Slughorn. I had to make a Draught of Peace…" she replied.

"Well? Did you make it?"

"Not unless it was supposed to look like cat sick," she replied gloomily, "I miss having Professor Snape as Potions master."

"I can assure you he doesn't miss it. I've just had him for Defense Against the Dark Arts. How did you manage to mess up the Draught of Peace, though? I brewed it last year just fine."

"Of course you did. You're a potions whiz you always have been," she said resentfully.

"Hm. Well I have Slughorn's class after my break, so we'll see if maybe it's not just you."

Draco and I spent the entire break practicing nonverbal jinxes and Shield Charms. He finally managing to silently deflect my nonverbal jelly-legs jinx when the bell rang. Only four Slytherins had managed to pass into N.E.W.T. level Potions; Draco, myself, and two boys named Zabini and Nott. The four of us went down to the dungeon classroom to see four Ravenclaws, one Hufflepuff, and the usual three Gryffindors had passed as well.

Slughorn opened the door and we all walked in the room. The room was already full of unusual smells and vapors. As I passed one of the cauldrons that was smoking I peered inside to see what I recognized to be Amortentia, a very strong love potion that smelled differently according to what most attracted each person. I could smell cold, nighttime air and something sweet that might have been lilies. I walked away from the cauldron rather reluctantly and sat with my fellow Slytherins. The Ravenclaws sat at a table together as did the Gryffindors. The single Hufflepuff boy sat with the Gryffindors. Slughorn walked in and went to the front of the room.

"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn, "scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of _Advanced Potion-Making…_"

"Sir?" said Potter, raising his hand.

"Harry, m'boy?"

"I haven't got a book or scales or anything- nor's Ron- we didn't realize we'd be able to do the N.E.W.T., you see-"

"Ah, yes, Professor McGonagall did mention…not to worry, my dear boy, not to worry at all. You can use ingredients from the store cupboard today, and I'm sure we can lend you some scales, and we've got a small stock of old books here, they'll do until you can write to Flourish and Blotts…"

Slughorn walked over to the store cupboard. Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of the potion bubbling away in the cauldron nearest our table. I recognized it immediately as well…Veritaserum.

"Now then," said Slughorn as he returned to the front of the classroom, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing you N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"

He indicated the Veritaserum and I was actually going to put my hand in the air, but Granger was quicker and Slughorn pointed to her.

"It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth," she said.

"Very good, very good!" said Slughorn happily, "Now this one here is pretty well known…featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately, too…who can-?"

Granger's hand was in the air once more as Slughorn pointed to what I, too, noticed to be Polyjuice Potion.

"It's Polyjuice Potion, sir," said Granger promptly.

"Excellent, excellent!" Slughorn said, he then pointed to the love potion, "Now this one here…yes, my dear?"

Granger's hand was in the air once more.

"It's Amortentia!" she exclaimed.

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, looking impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!"

"Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"

"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," she said enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and-"

She broke off, embarrassed.

"May I ask your name, my dear?" asked Slughorn.

"Hermione Granger, sir."

"Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"

"No, I don't think so, sir. I'm Muggle-born, you see."

Slughorn beamed and turned to Potter.

"Oho! '_One of my best friends is Muggle-born and she's the best in our year!' _I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?"

"Yes, sir," said Potter.

"Well, well, take twenty well-earned points for Gryffindor, Miss Granger," said Slughorn genially. Draco and I exchanged gloomy glances. Snape would never have given her twenty points.

"Amortentia doesn't really create _love, _of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room- oh yes," Slughorn said, nodding gravely towards Draco and Nott whom were both smirking, "When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love…

"And now it is time for us to start work."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," said the Hufflepuff boy, pointing to the cauldron on Slughorn's desk. I looked at it curiously. This was not a potion I had recognized.

"Oho," said Slughorn again, obviously hoping that someone would ask, "Yes. That. Well, _that _one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis. I take it that you know what Felix Felicis does, Miss Granger?"

"It's liquid luck," said Granger excitedly, "it makes you lucky!"

"Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor. Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis. Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed…at least until the effects wear off."

"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" asked a Ravenclaw boy.

"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," replied Slughorn, "Too much of a good thing, you know…highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally…"

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" asked a different boy.

"Twice in my life," said Slughorn, "Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoonfuls taken with breakfast. Two perfect days."

He gazed dreamily into the distance. I was pretty sure he was playacting.

"Do you think you could brew that Felix Felicis stuff?" Draco whispered in my ear.

"I dunno. Why?" I whispered back.

"It'd be nice to have, don't you think?"

I nodded my agreement as Slughorn came back to Earth.

"And that is what I shall be offering as a prize this lesson," Slughorn said loudly. Draco sat up at little straighter, listening eagerly.

"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis. Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt.

"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organized competitions…sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections. So the winner is to use it on an ordinary say only…and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!

"So," Slughorn said, suddenly very brisk, "how are you going to win my fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of _Advanced Potion-Making. _We have little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex that anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does the best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

After ten minutes of doing everything by the book my potion resembled the smooth, deep purple color described as the ideal halfway stage. I was feeling increasingly delighted until it came to having to cut up sopophorous bean, which was more difficult than one would expect. After accidentally slicing my finger, which I quickly mended with a spell, I wondered if I could crush the bean instead…but what would be best to crush it with?

"Sir, I think you knew my grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy?" Draco said loudly. I looked up, briefly annoyed that he had interrupted my thoughts.

"Yes," said Slughorn without looking at him, "I was sorry to hear he had died, although of course it wasn't unexpected, dragon pox at his age…"

I looked back down at the shriveled bean and had a silent resolution. I grabbed the knife I was using to try and cut the bean and crushed it with the flat side. A large amount of juice squirted out. Feeling utterly delighted with myself I scooped all of it into my potion which now turned a nice shade of lilac. I began to stir clockwise and after five minutes of this I began to feel annoyed again. According to the book my potion was supposed to turn clear, but it had merely turned a paler shade of purple.

"And time's…up!" called Slughorn a short while later, "Stop stirring, please!"

Furious at my inability to make the potion turn clear I stopped stirring and put my head down on my desk.

"Psst," said an annoying voice in my ear. It was Draco.

"What?" I hissed, lifting my head slightly.

"Switch seats with me, please, Casper. Your potion's clearer than mine and I _really _want that lucky potion," he said, a faint note of begging in his voice.

"Alright, quickly," I said agreeably. I switched seats with Draco while Slughorn had his back turned. I peered into Draco's cauldron which held a blue substance that was definitely not the Draught of Living Death. I racked my brains, trying to figure out where he had went wrong.

"Very nice," Slughorn said to Draco as he peered into the cauldron that was actually mine. He merely gave the blue potion a passing glance before moving on to the Gryffindor table. Slughorn stopped at Potter's cauldron with a look of delight on his face.

"The clear winner!" Slughorn cried, "Excellent, excellent, Harry! Good lord, it's clear you've inherited your mother's talent. She was a dab hand at Potions, Lily was!"

I stiffened slightly when he talked about Lily. I had never known she was good at potions. Perhaps that is why Snape took the job as Potions master when he was denied the Defense Against the Dark Arts job.

**Chapter 102**

Over the remainder of the week Potter became increasingly better at Potions, to my great annoyance. I was feeling increasingly bitter that my potions were now only second-best, though this had never bothered me in any class. On Saturday morning I walked into the common room to find Draco waiting for me. He looked as if he hadn't slept much.

"Casper, do you think you could brew that Felix Felicis potion for me?" he inquired.

"I could try, I suppose…but…there isn't instructions for it in our books and I imagine it would have ingredients that aren't in the student store cupboard," I replied, startled.

"If I can find a book with the instructions and get the ingredients would you be willing to try?" he asked abruptly.

"Of course. But where could I possibly brew it?"

"You can use the fire in the boy's dormitory. I've already asked Crabbe, Goyle, and Zabini. They say they don't care," he replied.

"A-alright, then. I suppose I can give a try," I said with a shrug. Draco smirked.

"I'll let you know when I find the book," he promised and then he left the common room.

After eating lunch I made my way down to Snape's office, which was still in the dungeons, thankfully. I knocked quietly on his door.

"Enter," he said in a low voice and I walked in, shutting the door behind me.

"Draco wants me to brew an illegal potion for him," I said before he could say anything. He raised an eyebrow.

"What sort of potion? A poison?" he inquired.

"No, not at all. Felix Felicis. A luck potion," I replied. He looked faintly amused.

"And you agreed to brew it for him?"

"Yes," I said simply.

"It can be very dangerous if you mess up," he warned.

"I know. Professor Slughorn told us about it in our first Potions class with him. …of course he's not a better teacher than you," I added quickly, "he simply fawns over Potter. It's revolting."

"Why does he fawn over Potter?"

"Because Potter seems to have found his calling. He's top in our potions class," I said gloomily. Snape sat up a little straighter, appearing interested.

"How did Potter go from worst in the class to best?" he wondered aloud. I hesitated a moment before answering.

"Professor Slughorn says that…he may have inherited his mother's talent," I said quietly.

"Is he that good?" Snape said, his eyebrows slightly raised, "Well…that's interesting…may be worth looking into…but back to Malfoy- he'll have to get the book out of the restricted section."

"I think he knows that. What book is it?"

"A book called _Moste Potente Potions._"

"You've mentioned that book before…a long time ago," I murmured, wracking my memory, "Ah, yes. In my second-year when you were talking about Polyjuice Potion."

"That was four years ago, how can you possibly remember that?" he asked, sounding faintly amazed.

"I have a good memory…and I don't even need Pensieve," I said, smirking.

Draco didn't say anything else about the luck potion until halfway through October. I had begun to hope that he had forgotten, but no such luck. He came to me in the common room on the day of the first Hogsmeade trip with a battered old copy of _Moste Potente Potions _in his hand.

"Here you go. Let me know what ingredients you need and I'll get them for you. It may take a while, but you'll get them. Can't talk right now, though, I've got to do a detention for Professor McGonagall," he said quickly, rolling his eyes. I couldn't help but notice, as he hurried out of the room, that he looked slightly frazzled and sort of ill. I told myself it was none of my business and I also left the common room. I had planned on joining the others in Hogsmeade, but instead I went to Snape's office. He was sitting at his desk, grading papers. I sat down in the chair across from his desk and began to thumb through the book. Many of the potions looked difficult and some had some gruesome illustrations.

"Why aren't you in Hogsmeade with everyone else?" Snape asked as he finished with one of the papers he'd been grading.

"It's storming outside. I don't particularly feel like getting rained on and that wind is pretty brutal. Also, Filch is checking everyone with that Secrecy Sensor and he tends not to be too kind with where he jabs it," I replied sourly.

"Of course. So, do you think you'll be able to brew the Felix Felicis?" he inquired, nodding to the book in my hand.

"I dunno. It seems pretty straight forward…Draco seems to think he'll be able to get the ingredients," I said with a shrug.

"The idiot better not get caught," he said quietly.

A few hours later I was still in Snape's office, reading through the book, when there was a loud knock on the door. I looked at Snape, wondering if I should put on my Disillusionment Charm, but he didn't seem too worried.

"Enter," Snape said quietly. The door opened to reveal Filch, red-faced as if he had run all the way here. He was holding something wrapped in a scarf.

"Professor Snape…a girl's been cursed…by this thing here…" Filch panted, "She's up in the hospital wing. Professor McGonagall said to bring this to you. She warned not to touch it."

Filch lay the item on the desk without even glancing at me. Snape stood up and unwrapped the thing carefully. It was an opal necklace and it looked slightly familiar…

"Oh!" I said loudly, causing both of them to jump slightly.

"What, Casper?" Snape asked, turning to face me as Filch eyed me suspiciously.

"I know where that necklace came from."

"Where?"

"A shop called _Borgin and Burke's _in Knockturn Alley," I replied promptly, "The sign said the necklace was cursed. Apparently it's killed nineteen Muggles."

Snape surveyed me silently for a moment, a slight frown on his face.

"I thought I told you to stay out of Knockturn Alley?" he said.

"That was a long time ago," I retorted.

Snape turned back to the necklace and tapped it with his wand, murmuring things I couldn't hear. Finally he seemed to have learned something I had not.

"I have to go up to the hospital wing and attend to the girl. Casper, you may stay here, if you like," he said at last.

"Yes, sir," I said as both he and Filch left.

Snape returned a short while later and told me that the girl who'd been cursed had been named Katie Bell.

"I was able to stop the spread of the curse. She was lucky to have touched it with only a small part of her skin. They're moving her to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies immediately," he informed me.

"Couldn't you cure her?" I asked, alarmed.

"No, I am not a healer. Will you go and tell Malfoy to come to my office?"

"Do you think he had something to do with it?"

"It's possible."

"I don't think he'll come. He's not too fond of you at the moment…" I said awkwardly.

"I'm aware of that. Tell him anyway."

I left the classroom and went to find Draco who was in the Slytherin common room. I repeated Snape's request and he looked slightly irritated.

"I'm not going to his office. Bully Professor Snape. Now, what ingredients do you need for that potion?" Draco asked me.

**Chapter 103**

Over the next few months I did nothing but work on the stupid potion. It was proving more difficult than I thought and it was supposed to brew for an entire month. My first attempt was disastrous and the boys told me their dormitory didn't smell right for weeks afterwards. My second attempt, however, was fruitful and by the week before the beginning of Christmas holidays I had a small amount of golden potion bubbling away for Draco. He looked simply delighted as I bottled it for him and he stowed it away in his trunk. He turned back to me with an eager look on his face. We were the only two in the dormitory and I felt my pulse quicken in a bad way as he approached me. I tried to back away, but bumped into a wall.

Every inch of me wanted to push him off as he pressed his mouth to mine, but I decided that kissing him had its advantages. I was supposed to be making friends with him and this definitely seemed friendly. I tried to imagine it was someone else, but I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather be kissing…then the image of the sixteen-year-old Snape I had seen in the Pensieve popped up in my mind.

Draco and I broke apart, gasping for breath. I tried not to act like I hadn't just had a heart attack.

"got to go…classes," I muttered, and fled the room. Jen was sitting in the common room, but I ignored her greeting and ran past her. I didn't have any classes to go to, of course, because it was Sunday. We only had a week before Christmas holidays.

I was heading towards Snape's office without really thinking about it when I ran into Professor Slughorn coming out of his classroom.

"Ah, Miss Addams. Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asked in his booming voice.

"Er…nowhere in particular," I replied with a shrug.

"I've been meaning to ask you…are you in any way related to the Connie Addams that works at Ministry of Magic?"

"Yeah…she's my grandmother," I said awkwardly.

"Really? She's a fascinating woman, but I never knew she'd had children. What is your mother's name?"

"Mary…Mary Addams. She died when I was little."

"Oh, how dreadful," he said sympathetically, "…how would you like to come to my Christmas party? It's on the last day of the holidays. A number of well-connected people will be there…"

"Er, sure, I'll think about it," I said evasively.

"Here's an official invitation," he said, handing me a small envelope with a violet ribbon tied around it, "so you don't forget. You can invite a friend, too."

"Right. Well, I'm supposed to be in Professor Snape's office right now," I said, slipping past him, "See you later."

I entered Snape's office feeling sullen and moody. I flopped down into my usual chair and Snape looked up from something he was reading, faintly surprised.

"What's wrong, Casper?" he asked curiously.

"Lots of things," I replied gloomily.

"Like what?"

I decided immediately not to tell him about what had happened with Draco so instead I held up to ribbon-wrapped invitation.

"Slughorn's invited me to one of his parties. Apparently he knows Connie quite well."

"Ah, yes. I've received one of those as well," he replied smoothly, indicating another invitation on his desk.

"Are you going?" I asked keenly.

"Possibly. I promised Slughorn I would. Are you going to invite someone to go with you?" he asked with a slight smirk.

"I'd rather eat rotten flobberworms," I retorted.

"I thought perhaps it'd be a good way for you to converse with Draco."

"Oh, Draco trusts me alright," I said with a smug smile.

He looked at me questioningly but I didn't feel inclined to answer. I decided to change the subject.

"I managed to brew the Felix Felicis potion," I said proudly, "I finished it earlier this morning."

"Really? Took you long enough," he remarked, but he sounded impressed.

"I messed up the first time. Zabini reckons the dormitory hasn't smelt the same since but that could just be him being a jerk," I replied with a shrug.

"Mm."

I returned to the common room a while later to find it thankfully empty other than Jen, who had a book propped open. She looked up when I entered.

"Where'd you fly off to earlier?" she inquired.

"Er…"

"I saw Draco coming out of the dormitory after you. What were you doing?" she asked, smirking slightly. I blushed faintly, but didn't answer her.

"Er…I got invited to Slughorn's Christmas party a moment ago, see?" I said, tossing her the invitation.

"Really? Well you're lucky. I didn't get an invitation. I never get invitations," she replied, gloomily reading the parchment, "Are you going to let me do your hair and makeup for the party?"

"Of course. You're my best friend," I said, smiling faintly. She smiled faintly as well and then began to tell me about the different hairstyles she'd like to try.

**Chapter 104**

The last day of school before Christmas holidays seemed to pass by very slowly, whether it was because of the impending party or not. After my last class of the day Jen drug me to the dormitory to help me get ready for the party. I was wearing my silver dress robes which I was now thankful I had adjusted when we were in Madam Malkin's in Diagon Alley. Jen worked on my hair for a very long time until it was sort of wavy and light. She applied a little bit of makeup and painted my fingernails for me. She also insisted that I wear a pair of her high-heeled shoes.

"Have fun," she said when it was time for me to leave, "and don't get into any trouble."

"The only way I'll get into trouble is if Draco shows up, but I don't think he was invited," I replied absently.

I waited in the entrance hall until Snape came out of the dungeons, not looking at all happy at the prospect of going to Slughorn's party. He looked a little less gloomy when he saw me.

"You look…very nice," he said in an odd voice.

"Thanks," I said, puzzled. We walked towards Slughorn's office together, but I kept stumbling because of the high-heeled shoes and Snape kept smirking.

"Why are you wearing those things?" he asked finally, "You can barely walk straight."

"Jen made me wear them," I muttered, "I always take her fashion advice. She's the one who did my hair and my makeup…she did it for the Yule Ball as well."

"She's done a good job. Your hair has sparkly things in it," he said, eyeing my hair curiously.

"Does it?" I murmured, looking upwards, "how annoying."

He laughed quietly and the sound was almost drowned out by the sound of laughter, music, and loud conversation coming from Slughorn's office.

We walked in the door together and we both paused to look around. Slughorn's office seemed much larger than any other teacher's office I'd been in, but he may have used magic to make it so. There were emerald, crimson, and gold hangings on the walls and the entire, rather crowded room, was bathed in a red light that came from an ornate lamp hanging in the middle of the ceiling.

"Do you think there are real fairies in there?" I murmured to Snape, looking up at the ceiling.

"What?" he asked, then followed my line of sight, "Oh. Yes, probably."

"Severus!" said a loud booming voice. We both turned to see Slughorn making his way towards us and we both exchanged unenthusiastic glances.

"think it's too late to slip off into the crowd?" I murmured quietly.

"Definitely," Snape replied gloomily. Slughorn was wearing a tasseled velvet hat and I got the impression that he may have been drunk.

"And Casper Addams, too," Slughorn said as he reached us at last, "Nice to see you both. Know each other well, do you?"

"Slightly. Professor Snape accompanies me to Diagon Alley to get my school things over the summer. I grew up with my cousin, who's a Squib," I said to Slughorn.

"That's right. I remembered the other day…after I ran into you in the hall- I do remember teaching a Mary Addams a few years ago. Do you remember her, Severus?" Slughorn asked him. Snape shook his head no.

"She wasn't in my House, of course. I was Head of Slytherin. I believe Mary was in Ravenclaw…she never was good at Potions, though. Of course with Severus and Lily in a class _no one _seemed good at Potions," Slughorn continued. I felt Snape stiffen beside me and I knew he was looking away pointedly, trying not to listen. Slughorn didn't seem to notice and continued to talk about Lily.

"I mean Lily Evans, of course," Slughorn said, looking at me, "Harry Potter's mother. Never was a witch like Lily Evans. Pity what happened…"

"What else do you remember about my mother?" I asked quickly, knowing that if a change of subject didn't occur I'd probably implode.

"She had a liking for Defense Against the Dark Arts, she did. She was a very quiet girl, kept to herself mostly, but indisputably brilliant…oh look, there's Eldred Worple," he said and then wondered off.

Glad to be rid of Slughorn, Snape and I walked around the room. Neither of us was really interested in talking to anyone.

"This is boring," I said with a sigh. Snape looked around and then spotted a house-elf carrying a tray of goblets. He snagged one of the silver goblets and handed it to me.

"Here," he said, "try this."

I looked down at the dark red liquid in the glass. I took a sip and immediate warmth spread through my body and lingered in my fingertips. It tasted a bit like cherry.

"It's surprisingly good," I remarked, nodding my head. He smiled faintly.

The crowd was thick with people and Snape and I simply stood there, talking, unable to even see the door.

"So what was Malfoy doing tonight?" he asked me quietly.

"No idea. He wasn't in the common room when I left and I don't think he had an invitation…"

"No, he wasn't invited."

"Well he may be off doing something with Crabbe and Goyle. The three of them always seem to disappear when I'm not looking and it's damn near impossible to follow them."

"He's not with Crabbe and Goyle. They're in detention."

At that moment we both heard Slughorn's booming voice and I turned my head slightly to see that he was talking to Potter and Professor Trelawney.

"Ah, Sybill, we all think our subject's most important! But I don't think I've ever known such a natural at Potions. Instinctive, you know- like his mother! I've only ever taught a few with this kind of ability, I can tell you that, Sybill- why even Severus-"

Slughorn reached out one of his massive arms and drew Snape towards him. I kept a short distance away, looking faintly amused.

"Stop skulking and come and join us, Severus!" said Slughorn happily, "I was just talking about Harry's exceptional potion-making! Some credit must go to you, of course, you taught him for five years!"

Snape was trapped in Slughorn's grasp and he could do nothing but look down at Potter, his eyes narrowed.

"Funny, I never had the impression that I managed to teach Potter anything at all," Snape said slowly.

"_Listen to his thoughts,_" Snape said inside my head. I focused my attention on Potter, though he didn't seem to be thinking anything at the moment.

"Well, then, it's natural ability!" shouted Slughorn, "you should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death- never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, I don't think even you, Severus-"

"Really?" said Snape quietly.

"Remind me what other subjects you're taking, Harry?" asked Slughorn.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology…" Potter listed.

"All the subjects required, in short, for an Auror," said Snape with a faint sneer.

"Yeah, well, that's what I'd like to do," said Potter boldly.

"And a great one you'll make too!" Slughorn boomed.

"I don't think you should be an Auror, Harry," said a blonde-haired girl unexpectedly. She had a dreamy look about her.

"The Aurors are part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, I thought everyone knew that. They're working to bring down the Ministry of Magic from within using a combination of Dark Magic and gum disease," she continued. Potter laughed, Professor Trelawney looked remotely interested, Slughorn looked bemused, and Snape simply stared at her.

_What? _I thought, utterly confused. Snape looked at me and shrugged his shoulders discreetly. Then we both spotted Draco Malfoy being dragged towards us by the ear by Filch.

"Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him an invitation?"

Draco wrenched himself free of Filch, looking furious.

"Alright, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily, "I was trying to gate-crash, happy?"

"No, I'm not! You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?" Filch retorted.

"That's all right, Argus, that's all right," said Slughorn, "it's Christmas and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."

For some reason Draco looked even more unhappier than Filch. Snape was watching Draco with an angry expression. Just as quickly as the expressions were there they vanished as Draco smiled and thanked Slughorn. Snape's expression had become unreadable once more.

"It's nothing, nothing," said Slughorn, waving away Draco's thanks, "I did know your grandfather, after all…"

"He always spoke very highly of you, sir," said Draco quickly, "said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known…"

_What a suck-up, _I thought, directing my thoughts at Snape, _Didn't he used to say the same thing to you?_

"_Probably. …I should talk to him now while I've got a chance. You stay here._"

"I'd like a word with you, Draco," said Snape suddenly.

"Oh, now, Severus," said Slughorn, hiccupping, "it's Christmas, don't be too hard-"

"I'm his Head of House and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be," said Snape curtly and I chuckled quietly, "Follow me, Draco."

They walked off together and I didn't dare disobey Snape and follow them. Potter disappeared a moment later as well. The blonde-haired girl was talking with Professor Trelawney, leaving me to talk with Slughorn.

"You know he really was an excellent potion-maker," Slughorn said suddenly.

"Who?" I asked, frowning.

"Severus, of course. Him and Lily Evans…they were best friends for a long time, too. Always thought they would wind up together, but I suppose Lily fell for James in the end," Slughorn replied. I felt increasingly awkward, not entirely certain that I wanted the conversation to continue.

"She was Muggle-born, you know? Funny how that happens…" Slughorn continued, unaware of the fact that I was trying not to listen to him.

**Chapter 105**

It was nearly 15 minutes later that Snape returned, without Draco. I had spent all of those fifteen minutes listening to Slughorn talk about Snape and Lily, and now I was feeling a bit annoyed. Snape didn't look too happy, either.

"What's wrong?" I asked, forcing myself to keep my voice low as I met up with him.

"Draco thinks I'm trying to steal his glory. What a childish, idiotic thing to worry about. I'm not trying to steal his glory," Snape muttered.

"There are more important things than glory," I said quietly. Snape looked up as if suddenly realizing we were in the middle of a party.

"Let's get out of here," he said, pulling me towards the door.

"Where will we go? It's too early to go to bed…" I said as we walked along the corridor, our footsteps muffled by the sound of the party.

"We can go for a walk on the grounds," he replied.

"I thought we weren't supposed to be skulking around after hours?"

"I'm a teacher, remember? I give you my full permission to skulk about after-hours with me," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. I laughed faintly.

The Hogwarts grounds were deserted and dark other than us. We could see the path in the moonlight and we walked in silence until I tripped in my high-heels and swore loudly as I fell to the ground.

"Stupid- effing- shoes," I grumbled, ripping the shoes off and throwing them at a nearby bush. Snape was trying not to laugh as he helped me to my feet. It was much easier to walk barefoot, even if it was a little cold.

"So, did you hear anything from Potter's thoughts a while ago?" he asked me.

"I'm not sure. It didn't make much sense to me…" I said slowly.

"A lot of things don't make sense to you," he said playfully, "what was Potter thinking?"

"Well, something about a potions book…and a-…a half-blood something," I said, struggling to recall. He stopped so abruptly that I nearly fell over again.

"Was…was it a half-blood Prince, by any chance?" he asked, his voice so low I could barely hear it.

"Yeah, I think that was it. What's a Half-Blood Prince?" I inquired as we continued to walk. He was silent for a moment, as if he were trying to piece things together.

"I think that Potter may have gotten my old potions book…from when I was in school. The Half-Blood Prince is…my old nickname," he said with a unmistakable grimace. I let out a snort of laughter and he sent me a deathly look.

"Stop laughing," he said, annoyed.

"Alright. Sorry. How'd Potter get your old book?" I asked, stifling my laughter.

"I suppose it was in the storage closet. I wrote a lot of things in that potions book…alternate instructions for potion-making…and a few spells…Dark Magic."

"Well then take the book back. Report him."

"I can't associate myself with that book," he said sternly, "didn't I just tell you it's full of Dark Magic?"

"Right. Of course not."

"That's really irksome, though. Potter has my book…"

"I should have that book," I said, also annoyed.

"I would give it to you if I had it," he assured me, "according to Slughorn, you could use the help in Potions."

"It's not _that _bad. Even my Draught of Living Death wasn't so bad, but I switched with Draco because his was worse than mine and he was hoping to win the Felix Felicis. If I hadn't figured out to crush the stupid bean instead of cutting it, the potion I had probably wouldn't have been worth a crap," I said bitterly.

"That's one of the notes I made in the book. Crush the sopophorous bean with the flat side of the silver dagger. You figured that out on your own?" he asked, impressed.

"Well I sure as hell couldn't cut the damned thing," I murmured. Even in the moonlight I could see him smiling faintly.

"You're hair is sparkling…because of the glitter your friend put in it," he remarked. I lifted a chunk of my hair so that I could see it. He was right. It was sparkling eerily in the moonlight. I flipped my hair back behind my ear as something cold and wet landed on my nose.

"What the-?" I said, looking skywards. Flecks of snow were drifting down from the sky.

"It's snowing," Snape said, also looking up.

"Yeah, I can see that, oh stater-of-the-obvious," I said, rolling my eyes, "I guess it's colder than I thought. Too cold for me, but cold enough for snowflakes."

"I don't know you kind of look like a snowflake," he replied seriously, ignoring my sarcasm, "you're all sparkly…your robes, your hair, your eyes."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not," I said warily.

"Nor am I," he said with a brief smile, "but you can take it as a compliment."

His black eyes seemed to glitter in the moonlight, illuminating his face so that, for a shadow of a moment, I thought I could see a reflection of a happier time. I could see, for a moment, the young boy who'd sat in a thicket of trees with a young girl, telling her about the dementors…

"We should go inside," he said suddenly, "before you get frost bite."

"Oh," I said, coming out of my thoughts, "Alright."

We walked silently across the grounds which were now covered with a thin layer of snow.

"Why aren't you wearing the silver gloves you usually wear in winter?" he asked softly, looking at my bare hands.

"They got too small," I said with a sad smile. I rubbed my hands together for warmth, wishing I had more of the warming liquid I'd drank earlier. The castle was still a long ways away.

"I thought you said your hands were always cold anyway?"

"They are," I assured him, "but now they're sort of numb. Same as my feet."

He looked contemplative for a moment then took my hands within his own, which were very warm. Strange that his touch was just as warming as the drink.

"I can't do much about your feet, though," he said with a wry smile.

"No need," I said in a slightly shaking his voice. His smile widened as we continued towards the castle, my hands in his hands.

When we got to the door he let go of my hands. I stared at them blankly for a moment before letting them drop to my sides, the warmth in them still lingering. He left me at the entrance to the common room and continued on towards his office, still smiling to himself. I was shaking slightly as I walked into the common room. Jen was sitting in a chair, but she was asleep she had been waiting for me, obviously. She had a book open in her lap and a half-finished essay on the properties of moonstones in potion-making. She awoke with a start when I walked past her.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, yawning, "What time is it?"

"Dunno. Past Midnight," I said with a shrug.

"Where are your shoes?"

Damn. I had left them in the bush where I'd thrown them.

"Somewhere on Hogwarts grounds. I'll find them tomorrow," I promised her.

"Ooh. How'd you manage to lose your shoes?"

"It's a long story I don't feel like repeating. It's snowing outside, did you know?"

"I can see it in your hair. Were you with Draco?"

"No."

"Were you with Snape?"

I hesitated a fraction of a second before answering.

"No," I said quickly.

"You were. You're a horrible liar," she said gleefully.

"Alright, maybe I was…but we weren't doing anything," I said hastily.

She nodded her head and looked…slightly disappointed.

"Right," she said.

"We were just talking."

"What about?"

"A book."

"Lame. I'm going to bed. I've got to finish this essay tomorrow," she said, laying the essay in the chair and heading for the dormitory. I thought about it for a moment and then picked up the essay. I read through what she had written and then I finished the essay for her before going up to bed.

**Chapter 106**

I'd wanted to sleep late the next morning, but I was rudely awakened at the crack of dawn by Jen, who was shaking me awake, her finished essay clutched in her hand.

"You finished my essay for me, didn't you? Thank you _so _much, Casper!" she shrieked.

"Mmph. What time is it?" I muttered, squinting up at her.

"Early morning."

"Let me sleep some more. I'm exhausted."

"But I'm leaving in a little while and I wanted to thank you before I left."

"Leaving?"

"For the Holidays."

"Oh, right. Merry Christmas. Good night," I said, pulling my pillow over my face. I heard her walk away and then sighed deeply into my pillow. I had been having a very good dream. I usually didn't have dreams because I kept my mind closed with Occlumency, but I'd had a dream last night that was no more than that- a dream.

On Christmas morning I awoke to an empty dormitory. There was a small pile of presents at the foot of my bed, one of them bearing a letter from Amy and Anthony.

_Dear Casper,_

_Happy Christmas! How are you? Everything is fine at home, but our neighbor went missing a week ago and no one's seen him since. Dylan's just as happy as ever, though a lot of his toys have mysteriously disappeared. We miss you lots. Be safe._

_Love,_

_Anthony and Amy_

I felt a sad lump rise in my throat and I swallowed It down. _I'll write to them this afternoon, _I promised myself. I was curious about the disappearance of our neighbor who was an eighty-six year old man named Charles Kaschew. I didn't understand why the Dark Lord or any of the Death Eaters would kidnap him. Maybe he had just wandered off…

My present from Amy and Anthony contained a black sweater made out of some sort of soft material that felt expensive. There was also an unmarked present from my usual anonymous gift-giver and I opened it to find a new pair of silver, fur-lined gloves. Smiling to myself, I pulled them on and found they fit perfectly.

When I went up to the Christmas feast a few hours later I found that they had done away with the House Tables again due to the fact that there were so few of us who had remained at Hogwarts over the holidays. There were only a handful of Slytherins including Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. Draco sat as far away from Snape as possible where as I went and sat right beside him.

"Merry Christmas, Severus," I said quietly, smiling at him.

"Hmph. Merry Christmas, Casper," he replied tartly. I looked up and down the table and saw that not even Potter had stayed for the Holidays. Dumbledore, however, still seemed his usual cheerful self.

"Happy Christmas to all of you! Though are numbers may be less this year that shouldn't stop us all from being joyful and celebrating another wonderful Christmas. Dig in!" Dumbledore said merrily as the plates around us filled with food. I added various foods to my plate and began to eat in silence.

Snape and I left the feast together a little while later and walked down to his office together. I sat down in my usual chair feeling tired and full.

"I think you should try and follow Draco while wearing your Disillusionment Charm. Wait for him outside the common room and then see where he goes," Snape said to me.

"I'll try. The last time I tried that I lost sight of him," I said with a shrug, "I wish you would tell me why I have to follow him. He's really quite boring."

"I've already explained to you why I can't tell you. I-"

"-promised his mother, yeah, I know," I said, disgusted. He looked at me with a pained expression.

"Let's not talk about that. It's Christmas. It's supposed to be…cheerful," he said with a faint sneer.

"Cheerful," I repeated, "Right. Well if you think of a cheerful topic, do let me know."

"Well, we'll be talking about the Imperius Curse in Defense Against the Dark Arts when we come back from the holidays," he said, sounding bored.

"Will you be using the curse on us like Moody did?" I asked curiously.

"Unfortunately, no…Dumbledore doesn't seem to think it's such a good idea."

"Too bad. I was really good at resisting it."

"Then you'll probably receive top marks on the essay I am assigning for homework."

"Don't I always?"

We sat in comfortable silence for a while until I remembered something that I had meant to ask Snape a long time ago.

"I've been meaning to ask you…what happened to Dumbledore's hand?" I inquired.

"He touched a cursed object," he said, but hesitated a moment before continuing, "Luckily I was able to stop the rapid spread of the curse."

"The same sort of curse that was used on the necklace Katie Bell touched?"

"No…this one was stronger. It would have killed him within the hour had he not come to me almost immediately after he touched it."

"Where does he go when he leaves the school? Everyone's noticed he's been absent a lot this year. How're students supposed to feel safe knowing their Headmaster's not even here half the time?" I asked. He looked slightly annoyed.

"I don't know where the Headmaster goes," he said truthfully.

"What about his private lessons with Potter?"

"I know nothing about that, either."

Again he was telling the truth and he seemed very annoyed that Dumbledore did not trust him with that information.

After I left Snape's office a little while later I donned my Disillusionment Charm and waited outside the entrance to the Slytherin common room, prepared to follow Draco. Sure enough he emerged a little while later with Crabbe and Goyle following him. They didn't speak at all so I had to be extra quiet as I followed them up a number of staircases. Finally Crabbe and Goyle paused in an empty corridor. Draco walked past a certain spot three times and, to my amazement, a door appeared on the wall.

"Remember, if you hear anything, drop those glasses," Draco said to them, indicating the glass jars they were holding. Then he walked into the door. As soon as he did it disappeared.

"Wonder wha' he's doing in there that's so important?" Crabbe muttered to Goyle.

"S'gotta be something for his master, innit?" Goyle replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"You'd think he'd trust us, you know? We're supposed to be his best friends."

"I imagine he's got cooler people to hang out with now."

I wondered vaguely what they meant but they didn't talk anymore after that so I sat down quietly against the wall and watched them waiting.

I got bored very quickly and I tried to imagine myself doing something more fun, like flying out over the lake. It was already dark outside by the time Draco emerged from the hidden room.

"It's not finished yet," he told Crabbe and Goyle resignedly as the door behind him vanished, "We'll have to come back tomorrow."

"Do we have to take that juice-stuff?" Crabbe asked resentfully.

"Polyjuice Potion. And yes. I didn't steal it for it to just sit there," Draco retorted. Then I followed them as they went back towards the common room. When I saw them go into the common room I decided not to go back in right away. I walked towards the front door and saw that Filch had forgotten to lock it. I slipped out the door and walked towards the broom shed, planning to put my daydream into action.

**Chapter 107**

A little less than an hour later I happened to look down as I was flying over the lake. I saw what appeared to be Snape and Dumbledore, near the edge of the forest, having a heated discussion. Curious, I flew lower so I could listen in.

"You take too much for granted, Dumbledore," Snape said quietly, "Maybe I don't want to do it anymore."

"You agreed to do it, Severus, and that's all there is to it," Dumbledore said in a tone that clearly stated he considered this to be the end of the matter. Snape stood, fuming, and Dumbledore said something in a low voice that I couldn't hear, then he strode away back towards the castle. I saw something move in the edge of the forest saw I was not the only one eavesdropping- Hagrid had been standing there as well, but he was now heading back towards his cabin. Snape had not moved from the spot and once Hagrid was safely inside I landed with a quiet thud beside him.

"It's me," I said quickly, as Snape whirled around with his wand held aloft.

"Oh," he said, stowing his wand away, "What're you doing out so late?"

"Flying, obviously. I followed Draco earlier like you asked me to," I replied coolly.

"Shh. Not so loud. What did you find out?" he asked quietly, walking towards the lake.

"Well he's got Crabbe and Goyle standing guard for him while he works on something in a room that no one else can get into," I said, walking alongside him, still invisible.

"What do you mean a room no one else can get into?"

"Well he walked past a certain spot on the seventh floor three times and a door appeared. As soon as he was inside it disappeared and as soon as he came out it disappeared again. I tried walking past it three times, of course, but nothing happened."

"Aha. I think Malfoy has found the Room of Requirement."

"The room of what?" I asked curiously.

"The Room of Requirement," he repeated, "it's a room that can become almost anything you can imagine. All you have to do is walk past it three times, thinking of what you need the most, and the door will appear. Unfortunately, we can't get in unless we know exactly what Malfoy is doing…"

"Well that's easy enough. I can just tap his mind when he walks past-"

"It's not so simple. Draco's Aunt Bellatrix has taught him Occlumency so his thoughts will be blocked."

"Bellatrix Lestrange is his Aunt? The Death Eater who doesn't trust you?"

"Yes, and there are a lot of Death Eaters who don't trust me."

"There are a lot of non-Death Eaters who don't trust you as well," I said smartly, staring towards the spot where he and Dumbledore had stood earlier. Snape shot me a sideways glance.

"Yes, but I don't really care if _they _trust me or not. None of them matter," he muttered.

"Even Dumbledore?"

He muttered something indistinguishable that sounded a lot like 'to hell with Dumbledore' but I couldn't be certain.

"Also, Draco has been brewing Polyjuice Potion somehow…according to Crabbe and Goyle," I said, remembering their conversation.

"He hasn't asked you to brew it?" Snape asked, surprised.

"No. I don't think he trusts me so much….because I hang out with you a lot."

"He must be stealing it then."

We were silent for a little while, both staring out over the lake. It wasn't an awkward silence, but more of a comfortable silence. I found myself strangely soothed by his presence and I was getting drowsy.

"So what were you and Dumbledore arguing about?" I asked, suppressing a yawn.

"Nothing of great importance."

"Hm. Well _something's _bothering you," I said, observing him silently.

"It's nothing just…a feeling. I feel uneasy," he admitted.

"Why?"

"I don't know. You should go back up to the school and get some sleep, Casper," he told me with a sigh.

"Aren't you coming, too?"

"…I suppose."

With one last look out over the lake he followed me up to the castle. He bade me goodnight and then left me outside the Slytherin common room.

The next morning a large sign had been pinned to the common room notice board stating that Apparition Lessons would be given to the sixth years for the price of 12 Galleons.

"Sixth years are _so _lucky," Jen said enviously, "I want to learn to Apparate!"

"I've tried it once. It sucks," I commented to make her feel better.

"When did you Apparate?" she asked, shocked.

"Side-Along Apparition," I explained, "I went with….someone."

Luckily Jen didn't seem too interested in who it was I went with.

"What did it feel like? You didn't splinch yourself, did you?"

"No. It felt like…being squeezed through a dark, narrow tube. It really wasn't all that great. I'd prefer flying or Floo Powder," I replied.

"Maybe it's easier when you do it on your own?" she suggested.

"Maybe. I'll let you know."

"You're gonna take the class?"

"Yeah. Might as well. It'd be a handy thing to know."

One slushy Saturday in February our very first Apparition Lesson took place. Rain was lashing against the windows of the Great Hall as I walked in with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. We all lined up around the Heads of Houses and a small wispy man from the Ministry of Magic. Snape was there standing between McGonagall and Flitwick. He barely smiled when I entered.

_Why are you so grumpy? _I inquired, directing my thoughts towards him. He glanced at me with a wry smile.

"_I've just spent the last few hours reading over the classes' essays on resisting the Imperious Curse. They were rather horrid," _he replied in my mind.

_Even mine?_

"_No yours was excellent, as always. You have a very powerful mind and are therefore better able to resist the Imperious curse, as was demonstrated when Moody tried it on you."_

_Thanks for the compliment._

"_Merely stating a fact. You should be listening to this, you know?" _he said, referring to the Ministry wizard who had begun speaking.

_Why? I've Apparated before._

"_With someone. It's a lot more difficult on your own."_

_I don't want to Apparate anyway._

"_Then why are you here?"_

_I'm hoping to see someone splinch themselves._

"I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you can have a clear five feet of space in front of you," said the Ministry wizard, capturing my attention. The was a massive scramble in which I had to break my connection with Snape to avoid being trampled by the other students. When everyone had stopped moving the Heads of Houses shouted "Quiet!" and silence fell.

"Thank you," said the Ministry wizard whose name was Twycross, "Now then…"

He waved his wand and wooden hoops instantly appeared on the floor in front of each of us.

"The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D's! Destination, Determination, and Deliberation! Step one: fix your mind firmly upon the desired _destination. _In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now."

I stared intently at my own wooden hoop.

"Step two, focus your _determination _to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body! Step three, and only when I give the command…Turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with _deliberation! _On my command, now…one-…two-…THREE!"

I tried to do exactly as Twycross instructed, but all I managed to do was turn around in a circle…and fall over. I hopped up, hoping no one had noticed…but of course Snape had.

"_Nice trick, Casper," _he snickered inside my mind.

_Shut up, Severus, _I retorted irritably.

"_Try again," _he encouraged.

Despite my many attempts at Disapparating, nothing happened. On the fourth try I heard someone shriek and I turned quickly to catch a glimpse of a Hufflepuff girl standing in her hoop with only one leg. The other leg was five feet away in her original hoop.

_Awesome!_ I thought excitedly. The Heads of Houses, which included Snape, quickly surrounded her. There was a puff of purple smoke and a big bang, and they moved aside to reveal the horrified, sobbing girl, reunited with her leg.

At the end of the hour nothing more interesting than that had happened. I hadn't manage to move a single inch and was feeling quite frustrated. Twycross didn't seem at all discouraged, however, and strode out of the hall after saying he would see us next Saturday. Irritated, I walked over to Snape and we left the Great Hall together and went down to his office.

**Chapter 108**

"So, looks like we finally found something Casper isn't good at," Snape teased lightly. I glowered at him.

"Apparating is stupid anyway. I'm just glad I got to see that girl splinch herself," I said with a wicked smile.

"You're so-…" he said, but trailed off, at an apparent loss for words.

"Horrible?" I suggested.

"Unpredictable," he said with a sigh, "Sometimes."

I chuckled to myself and leaned back in my chair. We were both silent for a moment and I observed Snape silently. His eyes darted to and away from mine a few times and he had his hands steepled in front of him.

"So what's bugging you?" I inquired finally.

"Nothing, it's just…well…I have to leave Hogwarts for a short amount of time. A few days at the most," he said quietly.

"What? Why? Where are you going?" I demanded. When he didn't respond, I knew exactly where and why he was going.

"What is it he's asking you to do?" I inquired, forcing myself to be calm.

"It's nothing life-threatening or dangerous, so don't worry."

"Tell me."

"I can't tell you. I'm not dragging you into this any further than you need be."

"I want to know. _Please_, Severus," I said earnestly, through gritted teeth. He observed me quietly then shook his head.

"I really, truly can't tell you, Casper. I refuse to tell you anything that may put you in danger," he said with a sigh.

"…fine. When do you have to leave?"

"Tonight."

"Well, I hope you know that I'm going to be worried sick and if you get yourself injured I'll kill you," I swore. He chuckled quietly.

"Would you like to come and see me off tonight?" he inquired.

"Of course."

"Meet me on the grounds at midnight. Wear your Disillusionment Charm."

"Alright."

That night at midnight I slipped out of the almost empty Common's Room wearing my Disillusionment Charm. I tiptoed lightly through the entrance hall so that my footsteps wouldn't echo so creepily. When I reached the school grounds I saw Snape standing there, looking up at the moon. He looked over to me when he heard me approaching. I lifted my Disillusionment Charm so that he could see me.

"Walk with me to the Gates," he said, beckoning to me. I followed him silently to the edge of the grounds, dreading his departure. When we reached the gate he unlocked it with a tap of his wand, then turned to face me.

"Well, I guess this is good-bye," I said. My throat felt tight.

"For now," he said gently, nodding his head slightly. Unable to contain myself any longer I hugged him quickly, refusing to let go. Almost as if he was expecting it he hugged me back very briefly, then pushed me away. I took a step backwards.

"Stay safe," I whispered hoarsely.

"Of course. Don't worry about me…"

He walked outside of the gates and prepared to Disapparate. He looked over his shoulder and smiled faintly before vanishing.

I walked blindly back towards the castle, but at the last minute turned and walked towards the lake instead. Tears were leaking from my eyes and I was somewhat glad that Snape wasn't here to see me cry. I hated the fact that he was leaving, going to the Dark Lord for any amount of time…and I wouldn't see him for _days_. I would have to worry for days, unable to contact him myself. I sat down at the edge of the lake and drew my knees up to my chest.

"He'll be okay. He can take care of himself," said a voice from behind me. I turned my head and saw Dumbledore standing there. I didn't say anything but I felt a great hatred rise up inside of me. Snape was a spy for Dumbledore. If it wasn't for Dumbledore his life wouldn't be in danger right now.

"He's done this many times before. He's more than capable of taking care of himself. You need not worry," he continued, unaware of my rising anger.

"Go away," I muttered darkly, turning away from him. I wiped my tears away and buried my face in my arms. I felt Dumbledore put his hand on my shoulder in a would-be reassuring manner.

"Just leave me _alone_," I growled at him. I got to my feet and before he could do anything to stop me, ran back towards the castle.

That night I tossed and turned a lot before falling asleep and when I finally did fall asleep I had a dream…

_Snape was kneeling before a man in a cloak whose face I could not see. His hands were the only part of him I could see and they were pale and deathly looking. I knew that it must be the Dark Lord._

"_Was anyone aware of your departure?" The Dark Lord inquired._

"_No, my Lord," Snape replied, head down._

"_And what of Dumbledore? What excuse did you give to him?"_

"_That I was ill, my lord. I believe I was very convincing…"_

"_Good…very good…How is young Malfoy doing in his task?"_

"_He is reluctant to share with me, but it seems he has an idea. I believe he is planning an attack on Hogwarts. He seems to have found an entrance. He needs this distraction for his task to be completed."_

I awoke to the sound of thunder rumbling. It was morning time and the sky outside was thick with grey clouds. Lightening flashed through the sky and rain began to fall. I pushed my hair out of my face. I was sweating and trembling, worried about Snape. There came a quiet meow from the foot of my bed as Gabriel leapt up.

"Hey, Gabriel, how are you doing?" I murmured, stroking his fur. He began to purr and rub himself against my feet. After a few minutes of loving Gabriel I got to my feet and proceeded to get dressed. He let out an inquiring meow.

"I'm going outside. I know it's raining, but I like the rain. You can stay up here," I said to him. He meowed again and curled up on my pillow.

**Chapter 109**

The grass was slick with rain and within five minutes of walking I was thoroughly soaked. I didn't care, though. After a while my feet got tired and I decided it would be a good idea to climb into one of the trees to sit so I did. As I sat there I wondered what Snape was doing. Was he on some dark, secret mission for the Dark Lord? My skin tingled at the thought of him on some top secret, undercover assignment, just like on the old spy movies Anthony used to watch. I smiled to myself and looked around the deserted grounds. I wished I could be with him. I didn't care if it was dangerous and life-threatening. It would be fun.

As I went to climb down from the tree a little while later I grabbed one of the branches with my right hand. In the blink of an eye I slipped, jolting my wrist, and landed on the ground with a painful thud. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming out in pain. I sat there, spots dancing in front of my eyes, and sharp pains shooting through my wrist. Once it had died down to a throb I reached around for my wand. My wrist was probably broken. I hated broken bones and I didn't want to meddle with magic and broken bones.

"_Ferula," _I said, aiming my wand at my wrist. A bandage wrapped itself tightly around my wrist to keep it from moving. There was no way in hell I was going to the nurse with a broken bone. I'd wait for Snape to come back and let him fix it.

I spent the next few days in a large amount of pain. Jenny didn't understand why I didn't just go to the nurse, but she didn't press the matter. I spent most of my time laying up in the dormitories, pouting, or waiting outside of Snape's office or classroom to see if he'd come back yet. Finally, late one night I was laying up in bed when a familiar voice intruded on my very private thoughts.

"_Hello Casper."_

I quickly put up a barrier around the memories I had been viewing.

_Hey! You're back! _I exclaimed in my head. I leapt out of bed and pulled on some clothes. I raced out of the dorm and down to his office. I pushed the door open without knocking.

Snape sat there, looking tired and a little worn. He looked up and smiled when I entered. His smile quickly faded.

"What've you done to your wrist?" he inquired, frowning.

"It's nothing," I said awkwardly. Still, he got up from his desk and walked over to me. Before I could protest he took my hand and began to unwrap it slowly. His hands were warm and felt good against my cold skin. If Snape noticed the fact that his touch made me break out in chill bumps, he didn't say anything. My wrist was bruised and swollen.

"Why didn't you go to the nurse, Casper?" he inquired.

"You know how I feel about doctors and broken bones."

"then why not heal it yourself?"

"I didn't want to risk messing it up."

"Mm-hmm…Are you sure you didn't just want me to heal it for you?" he said with a smirk. I blushed bright red and scowled at him.

"Shut up and heal it, Severus," I snapped. He continued to smirk as he tapped my wrist with his wand. Almost immediately a cooling sensation spread over it and the swelling and bruises began to disappear.

"you never cease to amaze me," I said as my wrist was restored to normal.

"Hm."

He went and sat back down behind his desk, still looking drained. I flopped down in my usual seat.

"Are you okay?" I inquired.

"Just a little tired is all."

I contemplated telling him about the dream I'd had. I decided to hint at it.

"What task has the Dark Lord assigned Draco?" I asked casually. He froze and then stared up at me in amazement.

"How do you…?"

"I saw something. In a dream."

"Casper! You're supposed to be using Occulmency!" he said angrily. I hung my head and didn't say anything. Snape quickly regained his composure.

"I can't talk to you about these things, understand? I've told you this before. You promised not to ask about it," he said, looking anywhere but at me.

"Fine. …I'm glad you're safe," I replied, staring at the floor. He made a dismissive noise and, with a grin, changed the subject.

"So…what were you thinking about when I interrupted your thoughts?" he asked, smirking. I blushed and glared at him. He knew _exactly _what I'd been thinking about, Damn him.

"Shut up, Severus. I'm going to bed," I retorted grumpily. He chuckled as I got up out of my seat and headed for the door.

"Good night, Casper," he said lightly.

"Whatever."

**Chapter 110**

A few days later was the day of a really big Quidditch match. Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. For once I decided to go. Jenny had convinced me after a lot of persuading. Snape would be there, too, which was an added bonus.

The morning of the match Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle walked up to my in the Common Room.

"Hey Draco. You guys going to the Quidditch match?" I inquired.

"No. I've got better things to do. …can I have one of your hairs?" Draco asked me. I looked at him oddly.

"Uh, _why_?" I asked blankly.

"Polyjuice potion. I stole some from Slughorn and I need it for…something. So can I have one or not?" he asked impatiently.

"I guess…but don't be doing anything weird with my body," I said, yanking out one of my hairs and giving it to him. I didn't particularly like the idea of Draco running around in my body, but I was still monitoring his movements for Snape.

"Thanks Casper. You're great," Draco said with a grin, punching me lightly in the arm. Then he, Crabbe and Goyle strode off out of the Common Room.

I left the Common Room a little while later and proceeded to make my way towards the Quidditch pitch. The weather was pretty fair with a little wind. Every few minutes sunlight would flare from behind the patchy clouds and blind me. It was actually really irritating. On my way to the stands I met Snape, who looked sour as ever but smiled slightly when he saw me.

_I've got news for you about Draco, _I informed him through my mind.

"_Wait until the match starts, then you can tell me," _he replied.

_Yes, oh patient and commanding one, _I replied with a smirk.

"Hey Casper!" called a voice from the stands, "Come sit with me!"

It was Jenny and she was waving at me eagerly and grinning. When she saw Snape follow me her smile faltered momentarily, but she regained her composure quickly.

"I thought I saw you walking back towards the castle with Draco and Selena a few minutes ago?" she said to me. I blinked once and then shrugged my shoulders. I turned towards the pitch and watched as the players came out onto the field.

Once the Quaffle was released, the game began. Snape and I sat back, under the pretense of watching the game. Jenny was pretty much ignoring us now that the game had begun and the others around us were making too much noise to hear what we were saying.

"So, what's going on, Casper?" Snape asked quietly.

"Draco stole Polyjuice Potion from Professor Slughorn," I informed him.

"For what?"

"No idea, but I gave him one of my hairs."

Snape stared at me blankly for a moment, then hit me lightly upside the back of my head.

"Are you an idiot, Casper?" he hissed at me, "Did you even stop to consider the things he could be doing in your body?"

"Well it's only for half an hour. Besides," I said ruefully, rubbing the back of my head, "I thought it's what you would _want _me to do."

He shook his head and glared at the game for a moment, regaining his composure and controlling his anger.

"Did he tell you what he needed it for?" he asked, finally turning back to me.

"No, but-…wait a moment, Jenny said she saw me heading to the castle _with _Draco and Selena," I said slowly. Snape's eyes scanned the stands quickly.

"Selena is down there in the front row," he said, nodding towards a girl with brown hair who was cheering for Hufflepuff.

"That means…either Crabbe or Goyle is in my body! Ew!" I exclaimed, mortified.

"That's what you get for giving your hair to Malfoy," Snape said smugly. I groaned and tried not to imagine the perverse things the three boys could be doing to my body. Snape apparently gleaned some of these images from my mind because I saw him smirk faintly and turn away for a moment.

"I think he's probably just using them to stand guard outside the Room of Requirement. It'd look suspicious for him to use Crabbe and Goyle every time. …at least the boy has _some _sense," Snape said to me. The last part he sounded irritated.

Our conversation was interrupted by loud cheering from my fellow Slytherins and screams and gasps from the other three Houses. Snape and I turned our attention on the match just in time to see Harry Potter fall from his broomstick after being hit by a Bludger. I heard Snape curse softly. I raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't press the matter. He was caught by two of his teammates. Potter ended up with a cracked skull in the hospital wing and Hufflepuff won 320 points to 60.

"_Casper, since the match is over, use your Disillusionment Charm and go up to the Seventh floor. See if you can get a look inside the Room of Requirement," _Snape said inside my head. I nodded to him, said goodbye to Jenny, and left the stadium. As soon as I was away from the crowd I donned my Disillusionment Charm and became an invisible stalker.

When I reached the Seventh Floor I saw a cloned version of myself and the other girl, Selena, standing in the corridor. They weren't talking, merely sitting there and staring off into space. Sometimes I wondered if Crabbe and Goyle even _had _brains. When Draco came out of the Room of Requirement I struggled to see what was inside, but he shut the door behind him so fast that even Crabbe and Goyle couldn't see what was inside.

**Chapter 111**

Over the next week I trailed after Draco, trying to get a peek inside the Room of Requirement. I did, however, notice that he was being tailed by two house elves, which made my job even more difficult because I now had to avoid them as well. I wasn't sure whether to mention it to Snape or not.

One evening, after stalking Draco for the better part of two hours, I headed off to Defense Against the Arts class with a sigh. I hadn't seen the house elves in a few days, but I still couldn't manage to get into the Room of Requirement. I lined up outside the door with my classmates until Snape opened the door and let us in. I went to my usual seat, closest to Snape's desk and sat down.

"_Why so glum, Casper?" _he asked in my head.

_I can't figure out what Draco is doing in the Room of Requirement, _I replied, _…and he's being followed by two house elves._

"_House elves," _he repeated in my head.

_Or he _was _being tailed by them. I haven't seen them in a few days._

"_Interesting…"_

At that moment Harry Potter hurried through the door and Snape's attention was drawn away from me and onto torturing his least favorite student.

"Late again, Potter," Snape said coldly, "Ten points from Gryffindor."

Potter scowled as he flopped into his seat next to Ron Weasley. He wasn't _really _late and he knew it- half the class was still pulling out books.

"Before we start, I want your dementor essays," Snape said, waving his wand carelessly. Twenty-five scrolls of parchment flew towards his desk and landed there in a neat little pile.

_Awesome! _I thought, smiling.

"I hope for your sakes they're better than the tripe I had to endure on resisting the Imperius Curse. Now, if you will all open your books to page- what is it, Mr. Finnigan?" he continued, referring to the Gryffindor boy who had his hand raised.

"Sir," said the boy, "I've been wondering, how do you tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost? Because there was something in the paper about an Inferius-"

"No there wasn't," Snape said, bored.

"But sir, I heard people talking-"

"If you had actually read the article in question, Mr. Finnigan, you would have known that the so-called Inferius was nothing but a smelly sneak thief by the name of Mundungus Fletcher."

"_He was one of the Order," _Snape informed me.

_Why was he impersonating an Inferius? _I asked in wonder.

"_I'm not sure."_

"But Potter seems to have a lot to say on the subject," Snape said suddenly, pointing towards the back of the room where Potter and Weasley were whispering, "Let us ask Potter how we would tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost."

Everyone in the room turned to look at Potter as he struggled for an answer.

"Er-well-ghosts are transparent-" he said slowly.

"Oh very good," interrupted Snape, sneering, "Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. _'Ghosts are transparent'_"

I snickered quietly and grinned.

"Yeah, ghosts are transparent, but Inferi are dead bodies, aren't they? So they'd be

solid-" Potter continued.

"A five-year-old could have told us as much," Snape retorted, smirking, "The Inferius is a corpse that has been reanimated by a Dark wizard's spells. It is not alive, it is merely used like a puppet to do the wizard's bidding. A ghost, as I trust you are all aware by now, is the imprint of a departed soul left upon the earth…and of course, as Potter so wisely tells us, _transparent_."

"Well, what Harry said is the most useful if we're trying to tell them apart!" said Weasley defensively, "When we come face-to-face with one down a dark alley, we're going to be having a shufti to see if it's solid, aren't we, we're not going to be asking 'excuse me are you the imprint of a departed soul'?"

I didn't dare laugh, even though I kinda wanted to, and those that did laugh were soon silenced by the look Snape gave them.

"Another ten points from Gryffindor," Snape snapped, "I would expect nothing more sophisticated from you, Ronald Weasley, the boy so solid he cannot Apparate half an inch across a room."

I laughed quietly, glad that I had finally managed to complete my Apparation during the last lesson.

"Now open your books to page two hundred and thirteen," Snape said, smirking a little, "and read the first two paragraphs on the Cruciatus Curse…"

Snape sat down at his desk and began to write something on a piece of parchment. I watched him under the pretense of reading the assigned pages. He looked tired and weary. Whatever task he was assigned, whether it was by the Dark Lord, Dumbledore, or Draco's mom, it was taking it's toll on him. I hated seeing him like that and I had the feeling it would only get worse.

"_Stop staring at me, Casper," _Snape said suddenly inside my head. He glanced up from his parchment with a smirk and I blushed.

_Sorry. I was just thinking…_I replied lightly. He continued to smile and shook his head before returning to his parchment.

After the class was over I followed my fellow students out of the room. I saw Potter and Weasley walking along, and another Gryffindor girl who wasn't Hermione Granger. I was going to ignore them, but when I heard what the one girl was saying, I couldn't ignore it.

"That stupid ignorant bastard," she said hotly, "He hasn't got the right to say anything about you, that slimy, greasy-nosed-"

I didn't have to hear anymore. My wand was out within seconds. When Potter and Weasley took a detour into the boys bathroom it was just me and the girl in the corridor.

"_Locomotor Mortis_," I said with a quick wave of my wand. Her legs snapped together and she fell with a thud to the ground. It gave me a fulfilling pleasure, cursing the girl, but I wished I knew something stronger.

"_Furnunculus_," I said with another wave of my wand. The girl was soon covered in horrid boils and with a satisfied smirk I turned around…and ran smack into Snape, who'd been standing there watching the whole thing.

"Not that I'm against Gryffindor punishment, but…you shouldn't be cursing people in the hallways," he said to me, "You could get caught."

I blushed bright red and he motioned for me to follow him back into the classroom.

I followed Snape to his office and sat down in my usual seat in front of his desk. He sat down behind his desk and looked at me with a mildly curious expression on his face.

"I'm not in trouble…am I?" I asked hesitantly.

"Have you _ever _been in trouble with me, Casper?"

"Well, no…not that I can recall."

"Why did you attack Lavender Brown?"

I didn't feel like repeating what she said so I let him see the scene replay in my mind. He sat back looking mildly irritated and faintly amused.

"Casper, you'd have a hell of a time going around and cursing _everyone _who said bad things about me, so why waste your time and energy cursing _her?_ It doesn't bother me…I hate children," he said with a shrug, "Well…_most _children."

"Well it bothers me," I grumbled, "Stupid little Gryffindor bi-"

"Casper! …watch your language."

"Heh. Practice what you preach, Severus. _'you'd have a hell of a time going around and cursing everyone who said bad things about me'_," I quoted him. He scowled at me, but I thought I saw the corners of his mouth turn up a little bit.

**Chapter 112**

The next month passed without much incident. The sun was starting to shine a bit more and it was obvious that summer was fast approaching. I'd passed my Apparation Test when the chance came, much to my delight.

One day I was following Draco, invisible as always. He was alone- no Crabbe, no Goyle, and he looked terrible. I thought he was heading to the Room of Requirement on the 7th floor, but he stopped on the 6th floor and went into the bathroom. Since I had absolutely no desire to go into a boy's bathroom, I waited outside.

A few minutes later, Potter appeared in the hallway. He pressed his ear against the door and listened before opening it. Draco was bowed over the sink, crying. A ghost named Moaning Myrtle was floating above him, crooning. I followed Potter in quickly, stunned to see Draco actually crying.

"Don't," murmured the ghost, "Don't…tell me what's wrong…I can help you…"

"No one can help me," Draco said, his whole body trembling, "I can't do it…I can't…it won't work…and unless I do it soon…he says he'll kill me…"

Draco glanced up into the mirror and saw Potter staring at him, dumbfounded.

Within seconds wands were drawn and nonverbal hexes were being fired and dodged. Moaning Myrtle was shrieking and crying. Water was squirting everywhere from a broken cistern. Potter slipped in the water that pooled on the floor and Draco raised his wand menacingly.

"_Cruci-_" Draco began.

"_SECTUMSEMPRA_!" Potter bellowed, waving his wand wildly.

Blood squirted from Draco's face and chest as he staggered backwards. He collapsed onto the waterlogged floor and his wand fell from his limp right hand. Potter looked almost as shocked as I was. He probably hadn't known what the spell did…but where did he learn it? Draco was shaking uncontrollably and the blood was pouring way too fast. I knew he needed help, but I couldn't move. My body was numb.

_SEVERUS! _I called out in my mind, _Sixth Floor…boy's bathroom…Potter…Draco!_

Unable to word what had happened I sent him a mental image of Draco on the floor.

"MURDER!" shrieked the ghost, "MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!"

The door burst open and Snape ran in, face livid. He shoved Potter out of the way, knelt over Draco with his wand out, and began to heal him with the song spell. It echoed oddly in the cold, wet space. Neither Potter or myself dared to speak. I doubted I could if I wanted to.

When Snape finished the spell he half-lifted Draco into a standing position.

"You need the hospital wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take some dittany immediately we might avoid even that…come…and you, Potter…you wait here for me," Snape said, eyes flashing angrily.

"_Casper, stay here and watch him," _Snape said in my mind.

Potter didn't even consider disobeying. He stood up slowly, shaking madly, staring at the blood on the floor. The ghost girl was still wailing. I was shivering and trying hard to keep my teeth from chattering.

Snape returned ten minutes later. He looked at the wailing ghost girl.

"Go," he said sternly and she fled into the toilet.

"I didn't mean it to happen," Potter began at once, his voice echoing in the empty bathroom, "I didn't know what the spell did."

Snape ignored his excuse, which was actually the truth for once.

"Apparently I underestimated you, Potter," he said in a quiet, dangerous voice, "Who would have thought you knew such Dark Magic? Who taught you that spell?"

"I read it in a book somewhere."

_Lie, _I informed Snape quickly.

"Where?" Snape asked Potter.

"It was- a library book," Potter lied, "I can't remember what it was call-"

"Liar," Snape said. A moment passed as Snape used Occulmency to dig into Potter's mind. When I tapped into the link I saw a hazy copy of _Advanced Potion-Making._

"Bring me your schoolbag," Snape said softly, "and all of your schoolbooks. _All _of them. Bring them to me here. Now!"

Potter turned on his heel and fled the room. A moment of silence passed. I was glad I was invisible because I was shaking even more than Potter. I was still frozen to the spot. After a little deep breathing Snape walked over to my invisible form.

"Casper?"

I didn't respond. I felt ill I was wet, cold, and shivering. When I didn't answer he put his arms around me, which caught me totally off guard. I was immediately filled with warmth and I even smiled a little, thinking of Snape-the-teenager. A few minutes later he released me.

"Are you okay?" Snape asked me.

"…yeah, I guess," I said, shaking a little bit.

"What happened?"

I replayed the scenario in my mind for him.

"I wonder why-" he began, but at that moment Potter rushed back in. Snape took his bag wordlessly and examined Potter's books one by one. When he reached the copy of _Advanced Potion-Making _he looked at it carefully before speaking.

"This is your copy of _Advanced Potion-Making _that you purchased at Flourish and Blotts?" Snape asked Potter.

"Yes," said Potter firmly.

"Then why does it have the name 'Roonil Wazlib' written inside the front cover?"

Potter paused momentarily.

"That's my nickname," he lied quickly.

_Lie, _I informed Snape quickly.

"_Duh," _he replied in my head, _"Who would believe that? How stupid can you get?"_

"Your nickname," Snape repeated.

"Yeah…that's what my friends call me."

"I understand what a nickname is," Snape snapped at him, "…do you know what I think, Potter? I think you are a liar and a cheat and that you deserve detention with me every Saturday until the end of term. What do you think, Potter?"

"I- I don't agree, sir," said Potter.

"Well we shall see how you feel after your detentions. Ten o'clock Saturday morning, Potter. My office."

"But sir…" said Potter desperately, "Quidditch…that last match of the…"

"Ten o'clock," Snape repeated, grinning evilly, "Poor Gryffindor…Fourth Place again."

**Chapter 113**

Snape marched out of the room and I hurried after him. I was still cold and wet. My wet shoes made an irritating squeaking noise that echoed throughout the empty corridor. Snape was still covered in blood and, after removing my Disillusionment Charm, I found that my shoes were soaked with it.

"You should go clean up," Snape said when we reached the dungeons, "Then come see me."

I nodded shakily and headed towards the Slytherin Common Room.

After I changed into some warm, dry clothes I made my way to Snape's office where he saw waiting for me.

"Did you happen to hear what Malfoy was crying about?" he asked me.

"Something about…he couldn't do something and someone was going to kill him," I replied with a meaningful look. Snape nodded his head briefly then changed the subject.

"…are you okay?" he asked me, "You didn't get hit by a stray spell or anything, did you?"

"Almost, but I'm fine. Just a little…shaken."

Mostly I was disappointed in myself. I could have easily healed Draco but I'd frozen up, unable to move. Snape seemed to guess as much.

"You shouldn't feel bad about freezing up like that. You've never been in a situation like that before. There's no training for that sort of thing, it isn't something you can learn… it's a life-or-death situation."

"Exactly! I shouldn't have frozen. I could have died," I said bitterly. I thought I saw him wince, ever-so-slightly.

"That's not what I was trying to say, Casper," he said, his voice unexpectedly soft, "Actually, the safest thing to do in that situation, as a spy, is not to move. You stayed out of harms way and didn't give away your position."

"Well…"

"You're _alive, _aren't you?" he said earnestly.

"Yeah."

"Then you did just fine…however, if you find yourself in the same situation _visible_…then you'd better have your wand out and be using it. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now, go. I've got things to do."

"…fine. Later, Severus," I said, too tired to ask what he was going to do, hoping it wasn't something dangerous.

I walked slowly back to the Common Room, which was abuzz with chatter. Everyone had heard about Draco's incident and Pansy Parkinson had already gone to visit him. None of them knew I'd been involved, so none of them queried me about it, which I was thankful for. I drug my feet up the stone steps to the Girl's Dormitories. I collapsed on my bed and was asleep within seconds.

Saturday morning, instead of walking down to the Quidditch pitch with Jenny, I walked, invisible, towards Snape's office to witness the berating of Potter.

"What are you doing here?" Snape asked, surprised, "Shouldn't you be at the game? It's the last one of the season."

"Hearing you belittle Harry Potter is more fun," I replied lightly. He smirked and laughed quietly. I sat down in the chair in front of his desk, invisible. Potter knocked on the door a few minutes later.

"Ah, Potter," said Snape when he entered, "Mr. Filch has been looking for someone to clear out these old files," said Snape softly, "They are the records of other Hogwarts wrongdoers and their punishments. Where the ink has grown faint, or the cards have suffered damage from mice, we would like you to copy out the crimes and punishments afresh and, making sure that they are in alphabetical order, replace them in the boxes. You will not use magic."

"Right, _Professor,_" Potter replied, his voice full of contempt.

"I thought you could start," said Snape with a malicious smile that chilled me in a non-entirely unpleasant way, "with boxes 1012 to 1056. You will find some familiar names in there, which should add interest to the task. Here, you see…"

Snape reached into one of the boxes and showed Potter a card.

"'_James Potter and Sirius Black. Apprehended using an illegal hex upon Bertram Aubrey. Aubrey's head twice normal size. Double Detention.'_," Snape read aloud with a sneer, "It must be such a comfort to think that, though they are gone, a record of their great achievements remains…"

_Hmm…I actually wouldn't mind seeing if my mother and father got into any trouble when they were in school. I'd be proud, _I thought with a grin.

"_Of course you would. Your mother never got into any trouble. I remember her. She was quiet and kept to herself," _Snape replied in my mind.

_What about my father? _I inquired eagerly.

"_I'm not sure," _he replied, _"I didn't know him."_

We didn't say anything much to each other over the next three hours and eventually my mind went to where it always went if I was left to my own devices for an extended period of time- my 'memory' of teenage-Snape. I was _obsessed. _He'd just looked so amazing to me…

The fact that he was actually in the room while I was thinking these thoughts made me squirm, even though I was sure my barrier was strong enough to keep him out.

Finally at a little past one o'clock Snape looked up from his work and at Potter.

"I think that will do," he said coldly, "Mark the place you have reached. You will continue at ten o'clock next Saturday."

"Yes, sir."

Potter crammed a card into the box and then practically ran from the room, eager to hear news of the match. I removed my Disillusionment Charm and relaxed in the chair.

"Heh. Why would _I _not mind doing detention for you?" I said, grinning.

"Because you are a strange and unusual girl, Casper Addams."

As it turned out, Gryffindor had won the Quidditch match, which surprised me. Over the next few weeks all anyone talked about was the victory…that and the fact Potter was now dating Ginny Weasley. When I first heard this, I told Snape and he grinned malevolently, that chilling smile that made goosebumps raise up on my arms. I went to Potter's next detention as well and reveled in this new torture.

"It sure is a shame you're missing all this fair weather," Snape said tauntingly as Potter filled out note cards, "all the _opportunities_…"

Potter simply grit his teeth, turning a bright shade of red, and continued to work.

_I am so weird, _I thought to myself as something ironic occurred to me.

"_and you're just now figuring this out?" _Snape asked sarcastically, teasingly.

_It just occurred to me that I'd rather be sitting in a dark dungeon with you, in complete silence, than be out taking advantage of the sunlight and it's 'opportunities', _I replied darkly.

He looked amused.

**Chapter 114**

Nothing much happened over the next few weeks. Sometimes I would attend Potter's detentions, which were becoming more and more boring. I noticed Draco was looking more glum by the day so when he came into the Common Room, grinning like he'd just won the lottery, I knew something was amiss. Still, I didn't think too much about it and when I crawled into bed that night I didn't think that it would end up being a night that changed my life.

I awoke to a loud commotion. Distant screaming and loud talking in the Common Room. I couldn't reach Snape with my thoughts and terror gripped me. I leapt out of bed, dressed quickly, donned my Disillusionment, and ran past my fellow students who were gathered in the Common Room, obviously frightened. _Cowards, _I thought to myself, but I had to admit a certain fear gripped me when I left the dungeons to find the Entrance Hall full of full-grown witches and wizards firing spells. A good number of them were wearing black robes and masks. They were Death Eaters.

_Severus! _I called in my mind, trying not to sound like a frightened child. There was no response, but I thought I heard Draco's voice coming from outside the castle- the doors were open, and there was a large band of fighting between me and there…so I pulled out my wand and started firing off curses. I wasn't aiming at any particular party, I just cursed them all- Death Eaters and the others alike.

I broke through the crowd and found Snape, Draco, and four other Death Eaters surrounding Dumbledore. Draco looked like he wanted to puke. Snape was staring at Dumbledore with hatred etched into every line of his face. _That _was why I couldn't reach him…he was blocking his mind around the Death Eaters.

"We've got a problem, Snape," said a lumpy wizard, "the boy doesn't seem able-"

"Severus…" said a quiet voice that startled me. It was Dumbledore. He sounded feeble, weak, pleading. Snape walked forward, pushing Draco out of the way roughly. The Death Eaters fell back obediently without speaking. Snape gazed at Dumbledore with revulsion and hatred etched on his face.

"Severus…please…" said Dumbledore. A cold chill filled me as Snape lifted his wand and pointed it straight at Dumbledore.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

A jet of green light shot out of Snape's wand and hit Dumbledore directly in the chest, blasting him into the air and out of sight.

"Out of here, quickly," said Snape to the Death Eaters. He grabbed Draco by the scruff of his neck and forced him ahead of him. The Death Eaters followed. Confused and panicky I ran after Snape, not knowing what else to do.

_Severus! _I thought, trying to force my way past his mental blockade, but it didn't work. Over the noise of the battle I heard Snape shout to the Death Eaters, "It's over, time to go!"

Spells were still being fired as I chased after Snape and Draco. I was dodging as best as I could, but I had a feeling I'd be hit soon if I didn't get out of the altercation. I followed them out onto the Hogwarts Grounds, heading for the Gate beyond which…beyond which he would Disapparate and be gone! I ran faster, trying to catch up with him.

I was hit suddenly by a stray jinx that had been fired by Potter, who was chasing after Snape and Draco. I went crashing to the ground and in that second my Disillusionment Charm failed me and I became visible again. I didn't care about that anymore. Potter and Snape were now engaged in a dual. I dragged myself to my feet. _Have to go…have to run…faster…faster…_I thought to myself frantically. Suddenly I felt my body contort and begin to morph. Within seconds I was on all fours. I could see in the night as clearly as if it were daylight. I reached Snape within a minute, though I was panicked by my sudden transformation. I skidded to a stop and I felt my body begin to morph again as I turned back into a human. Before I had time to think over this transformation I heard Snape and Potter fighting.

"No, Potter!" Snape screamed. There was a loud BANG and I looked up to see Potter soaring backwards. He landed hard on the ground, wandless. Snape closed in.

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them- I, the Half-Blood Prince! And you'd turn my inventions on me, like your filthy father, would you? I don't think so…_no!_" Snape said, face livid. Potter had dived for his wand, which Snape shot a hex at and caused it to fly way out of reach.

"Kill me then," panted Potter, his voice filled with contempt, "Kill me like you killed him, you coward-"

"DON'T-" Snape screamed, sounding inhuman, "CALL ME A COWARD!"

Snape hit him with a hex in the face, causing him to be slammed backwards into the ground. A rush of wings made me look up as a Hippogriff flew straight at Snape, who stepped backwards as it slashed at him. I raised my wand.

"_Stupefy!_" I shouted, waving it at the Hippogriff, "_Stupefy!_"

The spells hit it dead on, but had no effect. I thought frantically.

"_Confundus_," I shouted. This charm hit the Hippogriff, confusing it, and giving Snape enough time to run. I ran after him, holding my wand close. He was merely feet away now. He stopped just outside the gate and prepared to Disapparate. I caught up with him just in time to grab his arm and focus all my Determination on him. In the split second before we disappeared I saw his eyes widen in fear and he mouthed the words 'No, Casper!' but I couldn't hear him. I was safe.

We appeared on the wet grass in a jumble with me somehow on top of him on the ground, panting and out of breath. Malfoy was a few feet away from us and so were the three Death Eaters. Snape's face was, for a brief moment, panicked and distraught on my behalf, then was falsely shocked for the Death Eaters.

"Stowaway!" snarled one of the Death Eaters, bearing his sharp teeth in a menacing way, "I'll take care of her!"

There was fresh, human blood between his teeth and all over the front of his robes. I felt lightheaded and it had nothing to do with the unfortunate position Snape and I were in. Guess I had been too _determined _when Apparating. Snape pushed me off of him and pulled me to my feet quickly.

"No!" said a frightening, hoarse voice. The figure speaking was a sight even more terrifying than the man threatening to eat me. It was the Dark Lord, and he was holding a wand in my direction. The man with blood in his teeth stepped back immediately, looking frightened.

"Tell me who you are, girl," commanded the Dark Lord.

"C-casper," I managed to say.

"Did you think it would be fun to see Lord Voldemort face-to-face, little girl?" The Dark Lord asked, raising his wand threateningly, "Did you seek to join my army? You are a Slytherin girl, I can tell from your robes. Do you seek to join Lord Voldemort?"

I was terrified and I was grabbing Snape's robes as a reflex. His face was passive. His mind was still shut off from me because of his mental barrier he had to use around the Dark Lord. I didn't know what to do so I did the only thing I could think of- and that was tell the truth!

"I'm your daughter!" I said, the information I had guessed almost four years ago but never been able to verify, "My name is Casper Addams. My mother's name was Mary Addams."

There was a collective gasp of surprise from the Death Eaters that stood around us. More had appeared since we arrived. The Dark Lord went oddly quiet for a few minutes. Nothing moved, no one spoke, it was as if time itself had frozen. After a minute his hand lowered a fraction of an inch and this verified what I had feared all along. _I really was the Dark Lord's daughter!_

**Chapter 115**

Thirty minutes later we sat around a large table inside a mansion. Draco was there and he was staring at me with a mixture of awe, terror, and surprise. The other Death Eaters were staring at me with either terror or suspicion. They wanted their Lord to verify the fact that I had so blatantly spoken. Snape was still impassive. I felt very alone and frightened.

"The girl speaks the truth," the Dark Lord said finally, "…the only question now is what to do about it. …will you stay here and join us, or will you be killed?"

_Hell of a choice, _I thought miserably, _…but if it means I can stay with Snape without getting him killed…_

"I wish to join you. It is the reason I came here tonight," I said humbly.

"Very well. You will be branded with the Dark Mark and become a Death Eater," he said as if I were receiving some reward.

"Thank you, my lord," I said, bowing to him. The other Death Eaters now moved to form a circle around myself and The Dark Lord. Even Snape had joined them. The Dark Lord now held my wrist, palm up, in one hand and his wand in his other. He pressed the tip of his wand lightly into my skin.

"_Morsmorde,_" he hissed. There was a flash of green and then- searing pain in my wrist that made spots dance before my eyes until I couldn't see. I heard the Dark Lord laughing and then the pain got so bad that I lost consciousness, the last thing I saw were Snape's eyes looking at me with horror, hidden behind a face of passiveness.

A few hours later I was upstars in the room that had been assigned to me. The green stain sheets were not unlike those in the Slytherin dormotories…when I'd first woken up I had thought I was still at Hogwarts. I was clutching my forearm, willing it to stop hurting, wishing I could make mine stop hurting like I could make Snape's. Even I, who had an incredibly high threshold for pain, could not stop myself from sobbing quietly.

There was a quiet knock on the door and I bit my lip in an attempt to stiffle my quiet sobs. The door opened and Snape walked in quickly. He locked the door behind him and cast the Muffliato spell on it. He turned to face me with an unreadable expression.

"Casper…" he said in a soft, remorseful voice. I was surprised…I had been expecting a reprimand. It surprised me even more when he walked over, sat down on the bed, and wrapped his arms around me.

This unexpected, but accepted act of compassion quelled my tears and I allowed him to pull me closer so that I was now weeping silently against his chest.

"How did you find out about the Dark Lord?" he asked me gently.

"I g-guessed," I stammered, my voice slightly muffled, "A series of facts and assumptions. I noticed certain things. One of the most verifying things was when I said I wondered if my father had gotten in trouble during school. You said you didn't know and I picked up something underlying that statement, almost like when I can tell when someone's lying, I could tell there was something more. …it explains a lot of things…"

"Like why the Basilisk obeyed you…why you are a Parselmouth…" he said slowly.

"And why I am such a skilled Legilimens that I channeled your memories without even meaning to. Also, why I am able to do such advanced magic," I added softly.

"I am sorry, Casper…but can you understand _why _I never told you?"

"You feared for my safety?" I guessed, based on his initial facial reactions that only I'd seen.

"Yes. Dumbledore, too. The Dark Lord was not aware, until a few hours ago, that he had a daughter. We were uncertain of how he would react. We feared for your safety. The Dark Lord does not feel love, Casper," he explained slowly, "A moment ago-…perhaps you noticed it as well? -he contemplated killing you."

"But why?" I asked, surprised, "Why kill me?"

"According to Dumbledore, the Dark Lord dislikes anything that connects him to anyone else. You share the same blood."

"But…but he _didn't _kill me. Why didn't he kill me?"

"That is unknown to me. I fully expected to lose you-…the moment you grabbed hold of me as I was Disapparating. I thought…I thought for sure he would kill you," he said quietly. Even though his voice was barely audible, there was a note of unmistakable grief in his tone.

"But he didn't kill me…instead he branded me with this," I said, pulling away from him and prying my cold fingers away from the Dark Mark on my arm. It was still bleeding heavily. Silently, he pulled back his own sleeve where the same Mark was burned into his arm, though his was older and more scar-like.

I let out a sharp, strangled cry as another flash of pain seared through my Mark. Snape didn't need to ask to know what happened. He quickly pulled me back to him as I resumed crying, unable to stop.

A while later, when my crying had quieted some, we lay down. He kept his arms around me firmly, tohugh I now had my back facing him so he wouldn't have to see my silent tears. I was too reassured by his presence to protest or comment on this unusual and unexpected display of affection.

_What happens if one of the other Death Eaters walks in? _I wondered to myself, _Wouldn't it start vicious rumors?_

"There are already vicious rumors spread about me," Snape said quietly, "But no one saw me come in here and the door is locked. I doubt we will be interrupted. Most of them will be too frightened of you…because you are the Dark Lord's daughter."

He said the last part through gritted teeth as if it pained him to say it.

"The Dark Lord's daughter," I said slowly, "Does that make me 'The Dark Princess' or something?"

He laughed, a dry, humorless laugh, and I felt him shake his head.

"Or I could be the Half-Blood Princess," I continued without really thinking about it. I felt him stiffen slightly, tightening his grip on me, then slowly relax.

"Only one problem with that," he said coolly.

"What's that?" I asked, again mystified that I was not being reprimanded.

"You're not Half-Blood," he replied bluntly.

"Oh. Well damn."

"It wasn't that sort of Prince anyway…it was my mother's maiden name," he said quietly. I didn't say anything for a little while and I started to feel very drowsy.

"You're not going to leave abruptly, are you?" I murmured sleepily.

"No…tonight I am yours," he replied softly. I felt my pulse quicken as my heart leapt into my throat. He chuckled quietly and I couldn't repress a not unpleasant shudder. Tired from the day's events and feeling safe and comfortable in his arms, I fell asleep.

**Chapter 116**

I awoke a few hours later in pitch black darkness, unsure of what had awakened me. Then I realized Snape was whispering in my ear.

"What?" I muttered, turning over to face him, though I couldn't see him through the dark.

"Are you okay?"

"I was until you woke me up," I grumbled, "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I just woke up and you were…unusually cold," he said hesitantly, "…almost corpse-like."

"Oh that's normal," I assured him, "I went to the Muggle doctor for it when I was a baby. According to them, my heart slows down while I'm sleeping and so does my breathing. My body temperature drops a few degrees and my skin feels like ice."

"That's weird. I never knew that."

He wrapped his arms around me once again and I snuggled up close to him, enjoying his constant body heat even more now than before.

"Were you worried about me?" I asked, smirking slightly as I looked up at him.

"No. It would have been difficult to explain to the others how you died when it was just me up here," he replied in a serious tone, but I knew he was lying.

"Liar," I said, grinning.

"Hmph. Did you know your eyes sort of glow in the dark?" he inquired, changing the subject.

"Yeah."

"It's sort of weird."

"I'm a weird person," I replied. I closed my eyes and pressed my face into the warmth of his chest. I was beginning to feel drowsy again. We lay there in silence for a very long time and I suppose he thought I was asleep. He pressed a light kiss onto the top of my head, then let out a sigh as he lay his head back down on the pillow. My heart was pounding but I concentrated on keeping my breathing even so he wouldn't know I was awake. I lay there in silence, contemplating the meaning of all the affection he was showing me when he'd never done much more than hug me before, and that had always been with a great reluctance.

"Severus?" I said quietly, but he had already fallen asleep so there was no response. I sighed quietly. Then, lulled by his steady breathing and the sound of his heartbeat, I fell asleep.

I awoke late the next morning, completely alone. My forearm was throbbing painfully, but that was of little concern to me. There was a note on the bedside table.

_Sorry I couldn't stay. Someone will come and wake you shortly._

He hadn't signed his name, as usual, but of course I recognized the handwriting. It was Snape's. I imagined him sneaking out of the room at dawn, kissing my cheek before I left and tucking the blankets more snuggly around me...

A knock on the door interrupted my daydream and I quickly stuffed the note beneath my pillow. Two Death Eaters opened the door, a man and a woman. I recognized them as Draco's parents, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

"Good morning, my lady," Malfoy said through clenched teeth. Both of them bowed respectfully.

"You can call me Casper," I said, not altogether fond of being addressed as 'my lady'.

"Very well…Casper. The Dark Lord is temporarily absent, but has ordered us to care for you. Tonight we are celebrating the Dark Lord's defeat of Albus Dumbledore with a feast, then some of us are going to have fun with Muggles and Mudbloods. You are welcome to join us."

"Sounds…fun," I said with a smile.

I followed the Malfoys downstairs. A few of the Death Eaters were sitting around the table, talking amongst themselves. Snape was not with them.

"There are less here than there were last night," I observed.

"Some have their own homes. Some went with the Dark Lord. Some are on assignments," said Lucius.

"Where is Professor Snape?" I inquired. It had been so long since I had to call him 'Professor'.

"At his house in Spinner's End, I Imagine. He is sure to stop by later."

"Will he come with us tonight?"

"Probably not. He usually has more important things to do," Lucius replied, scowling slightly.

I spent most of the day in my room after waving off the Malfoys. I'd eaten lunch with the other Death Eaters, which was altogether a little frightening, and learned a little about where I was. It was Malfoy Manor, home of the Malfoys, a few of the Death Eaters, and currently the Dark Lord, but he was currently abroad.

They all talked about the Dark Lord's defeat of Dumbledore. How the next step was to take over the Ministry of Magic so Voldemort could rule the world. They planned to cleanse the wizarding world of Mudbloods and turn Muggles into slaves.

Something clicked in my brain when I was back in my room, thinking of what I had learned- Snape had actually killed Dumbledore! The man he'd always served and respected, to a point. He had killed him, without a trace of remorse on his face. I was teeming with questions now as I thought over the previous night. I wanted Snape to hurry up and get here already!

I wondered vaguely if I could reach his mind over however many miles lay between Malfoy Manor and his house in Spinner's End. I braced myself for the strain of it and called out with my mind, _Severus! Can you hear me?_

"_What?" _his voice came back, clearer and sounding closer than I expected.

_Where are you? _I inquired, frowning.

"_I'm downstairs. I've only just arrived. Give me a minute and I'll come up."_

_Okay._

A few minutes my door opened and Snape walked in, closing the door behind him. I pulled myself into a sitting position.

"How's your arm?" he asked, slightly concerned.

"Fine. I have questions for you," I said, frowning. He sighed and looked away from me.

"I'll answer them as best as I can."

"Why did you kill Dumbledore?" I inquired.

"He told me to," he said bitterly.

"He- what? Why?"

Snape sighed again and opened his mind to me.

"It is easier to show you," he said quietly and brought forth one of his memories to show me…

**Chapter 117**

_It was the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, late at night. Dumbledore was sagging in his chair, semiconscious. Snape was muttering incantations, pointing his wand at Dumbledore's blackened hand while simultaneously pouring a goblet full of some golden potion down Dumbledore's throat. After a moment or two, Dumbledore's eyes opened. _

"_Why," Snape said without preamble, "_why _did you put on that ring? It carries a curse, surely you realized that. Why even touch it?"_

_An old, cracked ring lay on the table before them, the Sword of Gryffindor beside it. Dumbledore grimaced._

"_I…was a fool. Sorely tempted…"_

"_Tempted by what?" Snape demanded._

_Dumbledore did not answer._

"_It is a miracle you managed to return here!" Snape said furiously, "That ring carried a curse of extraordinary power, to contain it is all we can hope for; I have trapped the curse in one hand for the time being-"_

_Dumbledore lifted his blackened, useless hand and examined it, a curious express on his face. _

"_You have done very well, Severus. How long do you think I have?" Dumbledore asked, the tone of his voice seemingly conversational. Snape hesitated._

"_I cannot tell. Maybe a year. There is no halting such a spell forever. It will spread eventually, it is the sort of curse that strengthens over time."_

_Dumbledore merely smiled, unconcerned._

"_I am fortunate, extremely fortunate, that I have you, Severus."_

"_If you had only summoned me a little earlier, I might have been able to do more, but you more time!" said Snape furiously, "Did you think that breaking the ring would break the curse?"_

"_Something like that…I was delirious, no doubt…" Dumbledore said as he straightened himself in his chair, with a little effort, "Well, really, this makes matters much more straightforward."_

_Snape looked utterly perplexed. Dumbledore smiled._

"_I refer to the plan Lord Voldemort is revolving around me. His plan to have the poor Malfoy boy murder me."_

_Snape sat in the chair across from Dumbledore, wanting to say more about Dumbledore's hand, but Dumbleodre held it up to prevent him from doing so. _

"_The Dark Lord does not expect Draco to succeed. This is merely punishment for Lucius's recent failures. Slow torture for Draco's parents, while they watch him fail and pay the price," Snape said, scowling._

"_In short, the boy has had a death sentence pronounced upon him as surely as I have," said Dumbledore, "Now I should have thought the natural successor to the job, once Draco fails, is yourself?"_

_There was a brief pause._

"_That, I think, is the Dark Lord's plan."_

"_Lord Voldemort forsees a moment in the near future when he will not need a spy at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore inquired._

"_He believes the school will soon be in his grasp, yes."_

"_And if it does fall into his grasp," Dumbledore continued, "I have your word that you will do all in your power to protect the students of Hogwarts?"_

_Snape nodded stiffly._

"_Good. Now then. Your first priority will be to discover what Draco is up to. A frightened teenage boy is a danger to others as well as to himself. Offer him help and guidance, he ought to accept, he likes you-"_

"_-much less since his father has lost favor. Draco blames me, he thinks I have usurped Lucius's position."_

"_All the same, try. I am concerned less for myself than for accidental victims of whatever schemes might occur to the boy. Ultimately, of course, there is only one thing to be done if we are to save him from Lord Voldemort's wrath."_

_Snape raised an eyebrow._

"_Are you intending to let him kill you?" Snape asked sarcastically. _

"_Certainly not. _You _must kill me," Dumbledore replied as if this was obvious._

_There was a long silence._

"_Would you like me to do it now?" asked Snape, his voice heavy with irony, "Or would you like a few moments to compose an epitaph?"_

"_Oh, not quite yet," said Dumbledore, smiling, "I daresay the moment will present itself in due course. Given what has happened tonight we can be sure that it will happen within a year."_

"_If you don't mind dying," Snape said harshly, "why no let Draco do it?"_

"_That boy's soul is not yet so damaged," said Dumbledore, "I would not have it ripped apart on my account."_

"_And my soul, Dumbledore? Mine?"_

"_you alone know whether it will harm your soul to help an old man avoid pain and humiliation," said Dumbledore, "I ask this one great favor of you, Severus, because death is coming for me as surely as the Chudley Cannons will finish bottom of this year's league. I confess I should prefer a quick, painless exit to the protracted and messy affair it will be if, for instance, Greyback is involved- I hear Voldemort has recruited him? Or dear Bellatrix, who likes to play with her food before she eats it."_

_Dumbledore's tone was light, but his blue eyes were piercing. Finally Snape nodded curtly. Dumbledore seemed satisfied._

"_Thank you, Severus…"_

The scene in my mind vanished and I looked up at Snape whose face was a torrent of anguish. He quickly looked away from me. _"Must control my emotions," _he thought to himself, unaware that the link between our minds was not yet severed, _"Even around her…"_

"He did it…he died…to save Draco?" I murmured, "And that's why you had me follow him. To find out what he was doing, to protect innocent bystanders who might be injured."

"That scene has been replaying in my mind since last night," Snape said, his voice sounding rough, "and I know what my next step will be."

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"My promise to Dumbledore- that I would do my best to protect the students if the school fell into the Dark Lord's hands- means that I must…I must earn the position of Headmaster, once the Dark Lord takes over the Ministry. It is what Dumbledore would want me to do."

I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. It sounded like Snape wasn't too keen on the idea of being headmaster. Snape came and sat beside me on the bed, still not looking up. Finally, he looked at me.

"What other questions do you have?" he asked me.

"Well, last night…I don't think you noticed, but I…I think I'm an animagus. I turned into a tiger when I was running, without meaning to. It was…frightening."

He was silent, observing me with his black eyes.

"I suppose it is possible that you could have unintentionally become an animagus. If it was anyone else in the world, I wouldn't even consider it, but since you've always caught on to other things so well…"

A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Looking briefly irritated Snape used a Disillusionment Charm on himself before I called out for whoever it was to come in.

It was Lucius Malfoy, looking a little better than he had earlier. He was still deathly pale and ill looking. I suppose Azkaban had that affect on people.

"Dinner's starting, Casper," he informed me.

"Alright, I'll be down in a moment," I replied. Lucius bowed faintly before turning and leaving. I turned back to the invisible Snape.

"Are you going with us tonight?" I inquired.

"…I might," he replied lightly, "Let's go downstairs."

I went down first and sat down at the end of the dining table next to an empty chair. Snape came down a few minutes later and occupied the chair beside me.

_Are we safe to communicate here? _I inquired through my mind.

"…_I think so. The Dark Lord is very far away," _he replied after a moment of contemplation.

_Where is he?_

"_I don't know," _Snape replied dismissively, _"Far away."_

_Can I ask you a question?_

"_You may as well."_

_You would have left me there at Hogwarts without even saying goodbye? _I asked, my heart constricting painfully as I imagined what could have happened. There was a brief silence in which Snape looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"_I don't know. There wasn't time to think. My first duty was to Dumbledore. …I think, if I got the chance, I would have come back for you…take you somewhere safe…away from danger, until I can get Hogwarts under my control."_

_And now? _I thought. He smiled faintly, a dry, humorless smile.

"_Well now you get to walk a path of danger with me," _he replied.

At that moment Lucius Malfoy stood up at the head of the table, where I suspected the Dark Lord should be sitting. He looked less frightened now, more sure of himself now that his master was not here to criticize his every movement.

"My friends," Lucius began, "Tonight we feast in honor of the Dark Lord's defeat of Albus Dumbledore. At long last, the Dark Lord's greatest enemy is defeated. The only being who dared stand between Him and Potter now lies defeated. Our way to power is clear. We will soon rise up and purge the wizarding world. We will put the Muggles in their rightful place. Tonight, we will demonstrate this power."

The other Death Eaters all murmured appreciatively and they began to put on robes and masks. Lucius walked over to where Snape and I sat.

"We keep our identities hidden for our own protection, Casper. I will get you robes and a mask," Lucius said with a slight bow. I nodded briefly and he walked off to get them.

_Are you coming with us? _I asked Snape for the second time.

"_I will come to keep you out of trouble," _he replied slowly. I scowled at him slightly, then grinned.

"But I'm good at getting in trouble," I said aloud.

When Lucius returned with black robes and a Death Eater's mask for me I grinned wickedly at Snape. I put the robes on over my clothes and then put the mask on. He also wore the Death Eater's robes and mask. I realized with a jolt that I could not recognize him apart from the others.

"_Pay attention to the shoes to know who is who…or just keep your mind linked with mine if you're looking for me specifically," _Snape said in my mind. I nodded briefly to let him know I understood, then we went to stand by the other Death Eaters. Adrenaline was rushing through my veins.

"_You're actually excited, aren't you?" _Snape asked, partially exasperated, partially amused.

_Of course, _I replied, _This is my first Death Eater activity._

"_Hmph. It's not as fun as it seems," _Snape said, _"Not as fun as, say, torturing Potter."_

"Alright, let's go," Lucius said from the front of the line.

**Chapter 118**

The night was filled with screams of terror as Muggles ran from the Death Eater's spells. I watched in silent horror as one of the others levitated a young Muggle girl, a little younger than myself, and began to spin her around. They lifted her nightgown, jeering at her, and I turned away, closing my eyes. A warm hand on my shoulder made me open my eyes and look up

"_Seen enough?" _Snape asked quietly in my mind. I nodded my head glumly. He led me away from the others and into a dark alley. He took off his mask and Death Eater robes and I did the same. He continued to lead me through the winding streets for almost ten minutes, then we stopped outside of a Muggle bar.

"Let's go in here," he said, nodding to the bar. I followed him inside and to a booth in the back. The bar was only half-filled with noisy people, oblivious to what was happening on the other side of town. We ordered drinks and once the waitress left, I stared miserably at Snape.

"I didn't know it would be so…" I began, but couldn't think of a word bad enough to describe what was happening.

"You'll just have to learn to deal with it," Snape said with a sigh, "Will you be able to block your feelings?"

"Of course," I replied hotly, "I'm good at hiding my emotions."

"Good."

The waitress brought our drinks and we sat in silence for a little while. There was sad music playing from a jukebox in the corner and I was trying my best to ignore the words it spewed.

"What happens when you go to be Headmaster at Hogwarts?" I asked him finally.

"What do you mean?" Snape inquired.

"I mean…what happens to me? Do I go with you?"

Snape hesitated.

"That is up to the Dark Lord. It is possible you will return to Hogwarts to complete your education," he replied slowly.

"Hm. I wonder what they think happened to me?" I wondered aloud.

"Possibly they think you were killed…your friend will probably know you have gone with me."

"Who, Jenny? Probably. She won't say anything though."

We continued to sit in silence and in the silence I let my eyes wander over Snape. He was looking pointedly at his drink, ignoring me, lost in his own thoughts. I studied his dark eyes, his somewhat relaxed face, and imagined, just for a moment, that I saw a trace of the amazingly beautiful teenage boy he had once been. His black eyes flicked to me momentarily and my heart skipped a beat and I knocked over my drink.

"Damn it!" I muttered crossly, standing up to avoid getting soaked by the beverage. Snape stood up as well and- was that a trace of a smile I saw on his face? He caught my eye and quickly made his face blank again. When the waitress came over to clean up the mess I had made, Snape paid her and we left quickly out the front door.

"Will they be done yet?" I asked, referring to the Death Eaters.

"Doubtful. They won't be done until the Ministry arrives and even then…" Snape's voice trailed off, "…Let's just walk for a while, okay?"

"Fine by me," I replied, secretly delighted.

It was a very rare occasion that I got to walk alongside Snape without being invisible and for once we were talking aloud rather than through our mental connection. I had to admit, I enjoyed it. We walked a little closer than was necessary. It was unusually cold out and when I started to shiver Snape noticed. After a brief moment of hesitation, he stepped closer to me and put his arm around my waist. I now had to concentrate really hard on keeping my steps even and not falling. He radiated body heat and it felt good to be pressed close to him…and not just for his body heat.

We walked together along roads that were unknown to me. I couldn't keep track of where we were going, but I was relieved when we reached a Muggle park. We walked through the park, past the swing sets and the slide. I'd loved swings when I was a child. Anthony and Amy would take me to the park down the street from where we lived almost every evening and I would swing until well after dark. I used to swing and just let my mind wander wherever it wanted. I wished I could do that now…but I was with Snape and it seemed a childish thing to ask.

"It is not so childish," Snape said, looking down at me, "Go and swing."

He removed his arm and sat down on a bench not far away. I hesitated for a moment, part of me wanting to sit with him, the other part wanting to go swing. Finally, the childish part won out and I ran excitedly over to the swings and sat down. I launched myself into the air with a single kick and began to swing.

I watched Snape as I swung. His eyes were on me, but he was deep in thought, looking at me, but not really seeing me. I wondered what he was thinking about, sitting over there in the dark. He looked mysterious and slightly menacing…but I knew better than to be afraid of him. I smiled as I watched him, the cold wind rushing over my face was not as unpleasant as it should have been. I was enjoying the cold, for once.

When I grew tired of swinging I jumped off without stopping and landed on my feet. I ran, grinning and breathless, towards where Snape sat and collapsed on the bench beside him. My face was flushed and I was shivering again, but I was smiling. I couldn't help it. Then something happened that I did not expect- Snape looked at me and his black eyes were full of a burning desire that I had never seen there before. He put his arms around me and kissed me.

I froze momentarily, then allowed him to deepen the kiss. My heart was pounding in excitement. My fingers clutched instinctively at the front of his robes. It was an _amazing _kiss…better than I had ever imagined, or dreamed…and for once my mind was not blocked and all my most secret thoughts and dreams concerning him came spilling out. I don't know how much of it he saw and I didn't care. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered but what was happening here and now, between us…

Snape broke the kiss abruptly, his eyes fixed on a spot in the sky behind me. I turned my head and saw the Dark Mark had been cast into the sky.

"Damn it! We have to go _now_!" he exclaimed, pulling me to my feet.

"Severus, wait- masks!" I said, heart pounding as I dug through my bag. I was having trouble putting my mental barrier back up after he had so unexpectedly tore down my defenses. I tried to concentrate on getting back to the Death Eaters without them realizing we were missing. Snape's robes and mask were on in seconds, but I was having trouble with mine. He tugged the robes down over my head and straightened them without meeting my eyes, then he took my mask. Our eyes met for a brief moment before he covered my face with my mask and for once his emotions were splayed on his face for me to read- desire, passion, and longing that matched my own.

We made it back just in time to Disapparate with the others as Ministry wizards began to Apparate in the streets. I dodged a jinx one of them cast at me and clung to Snape's robes and we Disapparated together. When we appeared at Malfoy Manor and removed our robes, Snape's face was unreadable, even to me. Lucius Malfoy and the others all looked pleased with themselves and were gloating unabashedly.

"Well that was fun, Lucius, but I must be going now," Snape said to Lucius.

"So soon? Ah well. Farewell, Severus," Lucius replied with a faint smile.

_You're leaving? _I asked Snape through our connection.

"_I'm sorry, but…I must," _he replied. I didn't respond and our eyes met briefly.

"_Don't worry…I'll come back tomorrow," _he assured me and I was flooded by an unbidden warmth that made me almost smile. I wavered slightly on my feet at the strength of the emotion I was gleaning from his mind, then I nodded briefly. Snape turned and left through the front door and I made my way upstairs to my room.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry, but this is the end of Chapter 6. What will happen next??? I know how you guys hate cliff-hangers so I'll try and hurry up. Chapter 7 will be the last one…possibly. We'll see. Please read and review.**

**~Vampyre**


	7. Book 7 Part1 Special treat for my fans

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to all you who have commented, You all are wonderful. I never thought anyone would stick around long enough to read it all. This won't be the last chapter, however, because I haven't finished writing yet. I have an end in mind, however, so it shouldn't be too much longer. I figured you guys would want to read this, though, it gets good. **

**~Vampyre**

**WARNING: There is some explicit content in 'Chapter 127'…heh heh heh It's not rated …what did I rate this? M, I think…maybe. It's not rated M (or whatever) for no reason. **

**Chapter 119**

Over the next couple of months I saw very little of Snape. I thought that I would be seeing more of him now that we were both Death Eaters, but I was wrong. I rarely saw him and when I did see him, we did not speak of what happened in the park. I spent most of my time alone in my room. The Dark Lord was busy and he didn't have much time to pay attention to me. He was working on something and no one knew what it was, not even Snape. The other Death Eaters treated me like a Princess. They gave me whatever I wanted and never dared to disobey me. I was allowed to sit in on the Death Eater meetings, but the only reason I really went was so that I could sit beside Snape. Even though I couldn't talk to him through our mental link in the presence of the Dark Lord, I liked being able to sit beside him. It calmed me. As much as I liked being treated like a Princess, I would have given everything I owned to be back at Hogwarts with things the way they had been before.

One evening we sat in the drawing room, awaiting Snape and Yaxley who my father claimed were bringing news of Harry Potter. We sat at a long ornate table, the only light in the room coming from a roaring fire beneath a marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror. The Dark Lord sat at the head of the table and I sat to his left. There was an empty spot to his right where Snape would sit when he arrived. The most disturbing feature of the scene was the figure of an unconscious woman that hung above the table, revolving slowly and casting frightening shadows around the room. The only person who looked at it was Draco. He glanced up compulsively every few minutes, as if he could not help himself.

Draco had been kind to me since I arrived, but in a timid, frightened sort of way. He no longer amused me and I avoided him at most costs. I sensed a brief disruption in my mind and looked up at my father.

"They are here," I announced quietly. He nodded faintly, his red eyes on the door now. It was a few moments before the door opened. When I saw Snape, standing on the threshold with Yaxley my heart leapt. I quickly tempered my emotions and made my face disinterested for the most part.

"Yaxley. Snape," said the Dark Lord, "You are very nearly late."

Both bowed their heads slightly and as Snape looked up our eyes met for the briefest of moments.

"Severus, here," said the Dark Lord, indicating the seat to his right, "Yaxley- beside Dolohov."

They both sat in their assigned places. My eyes weren't the only ones to follow Snape to his seat. The Dark Lord looked at him first.

"So?" he inquired.

"My Lord, the Order of the Phoenix intends to move Harry Potter from his current place of safety on Saturday next, at nightfall," Snape replied. Everyone sitting around the table gazed at Snape and the Dark Lord. Some were fidgeting, others sat still. I was the only one who seemed calm and collected as I gazed at them.

"Saturday…at nightfall," my father repeated. His red eyes gazed into Snape's black ones with an intensity that unnerved even me. Snape, however, gazed calmly back at him. Then my father smiled ever so slightly.

"Good. Very good. And this information comes-"

"-from the source we discussed," said Snape.

"My Lord," said Yaxley, leaning forward to look down the long table at them, "My Lord, I have heard differently."

Brief irritation flickered through me that Yaxley dared go against what Snape said. I made a point of glaring at him and he shuddered slightly before continuing.

"Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen," Yaxley continued. I glanced at Snape and to my surprise, he was smiling.

"My source told me that there are plans to lay a false trail; this must be it. No doubt, a Confundus Charm has been placed upon Dawlish. It would not be the first time; he is known to be susceptible," Snape said.

"I assure you, my Lord, Dawlish seemed quite certain," said Yaxley, though his voice held a trace of fear an uncertainty.

"If he has been Confunded, naturally he is certain," Snape sneered, "I assure _you_, Yaxley, the Auror Office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter. The Order believes that we have infiltrated the Ministry."

"The Order's got one thing right, then, eh?" said Amycus Carrow with a wheezy giggle. The Dark Lord did not laugh. His eyes had wandered upward to the body that was slowly revolving overhead. He was apparently lost in thought.

"My Lord," Yaxley continued, "Dawlish believes an entire party of Aurors will be used to transfer the boy-"

The Dark Lord held up a hand to silence Yaxley. Yaxley watched resentfully as the Dark Lord turned back to Snape.

"Where are they going to hide the boy next?" he asked him.

"At the home of one of the Order," said Snape, "The place, according to the source, has been given every protection that the Order and Ministry together could provide. I think that there is little chance of taking him once he is there, my Lord, unless, of course, the Ministry has fallen before next Saturday, which might give us the opportunity to discover and undo enough of the enchantments to break through the rest."

"Well, Yaxley?" the Dark Lord asked, "_Will _the Ministry have fallen by next Saturday?"

"My Lord, I have good news on that score. I have- with difficulty, and after great effort- succeeded in placing an Imperius Curse upon Pius Thicknesse."

Most of the Death Eaters looked impressed. Dolohov clapped him on the back.

"It is a start," said the Dark Lord, "But Thicknesse is only one man. Our people must surround Scrimgeour before I act. One failed attempt on the Minister's life will set me back a long way."

"Yes- my Lord, that is true- but you know, as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Thicknesse has regular contact not only with the Minister himself, but also with the Heads of all the other Ministry departments. It will, I think, be easy now that we have such a high-ranking official under our control, to subjugate the others, and then they can all work together to bring Scrimgeour down."

"As long as our friend Thicknesse is not discovered before he has converted the rest," said the Dark Lord, "At any rate it remains unlikely that the Ministry will be mine before next Saturday. If we cannot touch the boy at his destination, then it must be done while he travels."

"We are at an advantage there, my Lord," said Yaxley, who seemed determined for praise, "We now have several people planted within the Department of Magical Transport. If Potter Apparates or uses the Floo Network, we shall know immediately."

"He will not do either," said Snape, "The Order is eschewing any form of transport that is controlled or regulated by the Ministry; they mistrust everything to do with the place."

"All the better," said the Dark Lord, "He will have to move in the open. Easier to take, by far. …I shall attend to the boy in person. There have been too many mistakes where Harry Potter is concerned. Some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors than his triumphs."

Everyone stared apprehensively at my father, afraid that they would be blamed for Potter's continued existence. He seemed, however, to be speaking more to himself and looking up at the unconscious body that still hung above him.

"I have been careless, and so have been thwarted by luck and chance, those wreckers of all but the best-laid plans. But I know better now. I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be."

**Chapter 120**

At these words, a sudden, loud, wail emitted from the dungeons beneath our feet. Several people looked down, disturbed, but my father continued to stare at the revolving body.

"Wormtail, have I not spoken to you about keeping our prisoner quiet?" the Dark Lord said with no change to his quiet thoughtful tone. Wormtail was my least favorite of the Death Eaters, but he had helped my father return to his human form. He was a short, fat little man who resembled a mouse in many ways.

"Yes, m-my Lord," gasped Wormtail from halfway down the table. He scrambled from his seat and scurried from the room.

"As I was saying," continued the Dark Lord, now looking at the faces of his followers, "I understand better now. I shall need, for instance, to borrow a wand from one of you before I go to kill Potter."

The faces around us were shocked; he might as well have announced he wanted to cut off one of their arms. I doubted he would ask for my wand but my hand in my pocket clenched my wand anyway.

"No volunteers?" said my father, "Let's see…Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore."

Lucius Malfoy looked up. His skin appeared yellowish and waxy in the firelight and his eyes were sunken and shadowed.

"My Lord?" he asked hoarsely.

"Your wand Lucius. I require your wand."

I sat back in my seat, bored with the proceedings. I let my eyes sweep over the table and paused when I saw Snape was looking at me. My father was too busy demeaning the Malfoys to notice. Snape's expression was one of blank disinterest, but his eyes revealed to me much more than that. I felt like I would melt into a puddle if he didn't stop staring at me like that…it would be hard to explain if I melted into a puddle.

Snape glanced away from me as a large snake emerged and climbed slowly up my father's chair. Nagini who, by some miracle, obeyed me as well as my father. She draped herself across the Dark Lord's shoulders and he stroked her absently, still looking at Malfoy.

"Why do the Malfoys look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return, my rise to power, not the very thing they professed to desire for so many years?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Of course, my Lord," Lucius said, wiping sweat from his face, "We did desire it- we do."

The Lucius's left, his wife, Narcissa nodded stiffly. Draco, who had been gazing at the body overhead, glanced at the Dark Lord then away again, terrified to make eye contact.

"My Lord," said Bellatrix Lestrange from halfway down the table, "It is an honor to have you here, in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure."

Bellatrix was another of my least favorite of the Death Eaters. She spent half her time offering to do things for me and being as nice as possible…but I could not help but remember that she distrusted Snape.

"No higher pleasure," repeated my father, "That means a great deal, Bellatrix, from you."

Her face flooded with color and tears of delight welled in her eyes.

"My Lord knows I speak nothing but the truth!"

"No higher pleasure…even compared with the happy event that, I hear, has taken place in your family this week?"

"I don't know what you mean, my Lord," Bellatrix said, confused.

"I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud."

There was an eruption of jeering and laughter from amongst the Death Eaters. Even I allowed myself a small smile. Nagini, disliking the disturbance, hissed loudly, but no one took notice.

"She is no niece of ours, my Lord," Bellatrix cried, "We- Narcissa and I- have never set eyes on our sister since she married the Mudblood. This brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any beast she marries."

"What say you, Draco? Will you baby-sit the cubs?" the Dark Lord asked. Everyone laughed loudly and Snape caught my eye again. We shared a small smile.

"Enough," said my father, stroking the angry snake, "Enough."

The laughter died at once.

"Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time," he said as Bellatrix gazed, breathless and imploring at him, "You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest."

"Yes, my Lord," said Bellatrix, her eyes filled with tears of gratitude, "At the first chance!"

"You shall have it," said the Dark Lord, "And in your family, so in the world…we shall cut away the canker that infects us until only those of the true blood remain…"

My father raised Lucius's wand and pointed it at the slowly revolving figure above the table. The figure came to life with a groan and began to struggle against invisible bonds.

"Do you recognize our guest, Severus?" asked the Dark Lord. Snape raised his eyes to the upside-down face. Everyone was staring up at her now.

"Severus! Help me!" said the woman in a cracked and terrified voice as she revolved to face the fireplace.

"Ah, yes," said Snape as the prisoner slowly turned away again.

"And you, Draco?"

Draco shook his head jerkily, unable to look up anymore.

"Casper?"

I looked curiously at the revolving figure before shaking my head no.

"But you would not have taken her classes," said my father, "For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage who, until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yes…Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles…how they are not so different from us…"

One of the Death Eaters spat on the floor. Charity Burbage revolved to face Snape again.

"Severus…please…please…" she murmured.

"Silence," said Voldemort with another flick of Malfoy wand and Professor Burbage fell silent as if gagged, "Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defense of Mudbloods in the _Daily Prophet. _Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of purebloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance…she would have us all mate with Muggles…or, no doubt, werewolves…"

No one laughed this time. There was no mistaking the anger in his voice. Tears were pouring from Professor Burbage's eyes as she revolved to face Snape again. His face was impassive as he stared back at her. My heart went out to him, but I kept my expression blank as well.

"_Avada Kedavra,_" said the Dark Lord. A flash of green light illuminated every corner of the room. Professor Burbage fell with a resounding crash onto the table below, which trembled and creaked. Several Death Eaters leapt back in their chairs and Draco fell out of his onto the floor. I was careful not to do so much as blink.

"Dinner, Nagini," said my father softly, and the snake slithered from his shoulders onto the polished wood.

**Chapter 121**

The meeting was dismissed shortly after that, but my father requested that Snape remain behind for a moment. I sat in my seat watching, half fascinated, half revolted, as Nagini devoured the corpse of Professor Burbage.

"Severus," said the Dark Lord, "I have an errand for you."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix has no doubt been evacuated, but I would like for you to go and see what is left. If there is anything left behind worth mentioning, bring it here to me."

"Yes, my Lord."

Snape stood to go and my heart sank. Then I had an idea.

"My Lord?" I asked without taking my eyes off Nagini.

"Yes, Casper?" he asked, faintly surprised.

"May I accompany Severus to the former Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix? I've been stuck in this house for months now…" I let my voice trail off there as I reached out and stroked Nagini's head. The snake looked at me and blinked appreciatively.

"Very well. Severus, take Casper with you. Be cautious, however. I would not put it past the Order to have traps set for you," the Dark Lord said.

"Yes, my Lord," Snape and I sat simultaneously.

We left the room together and neither of us spoke until we had traversed through the long hallway and out the house. The yard was filled with rows and rows of hedges. It was nighttime, but I could still see the silhouettes of the white peacocks that Lucius was so fond of.

"That wasn't the smartest thing to do, Casper," Snape said slowly.

"Why?" I said defiantly, "I didn't want to be stuck in the house again without you."

He didn't respond to that, merely sighed.

"Well come on then. We'll have to Disapparate," he said. He extended his arm for me to take hold and I did.

The house was just as I remembered it, the one time I had been there, invisible to everyone else. It was eerie, cobwebbed, and there were the heads of dozens of house-elves on the wall. We both stood in silence, looking around. Then I took a step forward before Snape could stop me.

"_Severus Snape?_" a magical voice whispered out of the darkness. I leapt back onto the doormat, startled. Something cold whooshed over me and I felt my tongue curl back on itself. Before I had time to try to yell, it had unraveled again. Judging by the alarmed expression on Snape's face, he had just experienced the same unpleasant sensation.

"Mad-Eye Moody," he muttered darkly, "Of course."

This time it was Snape who took a step forward. Something stirred in the shadows at the end of the hall and I let out a startled cry as a tall, dust-colored, terrible figure rose from the carpet. The gray figure was gliding towards me, its waist-length hair and beard streaming behind it, its sunken, fleshless face, and empty eye sockets. It was Albus Dumbledore, dreadfully altered, arm raised and pointing at me. I took a terrified step backwards and knocked over an umbrella stand.

Snape waved his wand quickly and the figure exploded into a great cloud of dust. It caught in my throat and I coughed until the dust had settled and I was able to look up at Snape. His face was unreadable.

"Are you okay?" he asked me.

"Yeah."

I pulled out my wand, feeling safer with it in my hand that in my pocket.

"I think that was the last one," Snape said quietly, "Light your wand and let's get going. _Lumos._"

"_Lumos,_" I copied, "What are we looking for?"

"Anything…and don't worry about not making a mess."

We split up to search the rooms. I pulled out drawers and picked through them, tossing pointless objects aside. We made our way to the topmost landing where there were only two rooms, one bearing the name Sirius, the other Regulus. Snape opened Sirius's room and we peered inside. Everything was covered in dust. There were several Gryffindor banners, pictures of Muggle motorcycles, and several bikini-clad Muggle girls.

"Ugh," I said, wrinkling my nose, "He had terrible taste in decorations, didn't he?"

Snape nodded his head briefly.

"I'll take this room. You take Regulus's," he said to me.

"Who's Regulus?" I inquired.

"Sirius's brother. Ex-Death Eater. Tried to betray the Dark Lord and was killed for it."

I suppressed a shudder and walked across the hall to the other room. There was a sign on the door.

Do not Enter

Without the Express Permission of

Regulus Arcturus Black

The door was locked when I tried to open it. I waved my wand and said, "_Alohomora._" There was a click and the door swung open. The room was the exact opposite of Sirius's. Slytherin banners hung from every possible place and the Black family crest was painted above the bed with a stack of yellowed newspapers beneath it. All were clippings about the Dark Lord.

A sudden change in my mental link with Snape startled me. I prodded his mind ever so slightly and found it filled with sorrow and grief. Wondering what could possibly cause such feelings I forced my subconscious into his and looked through his eyes. He had an old yellowed letter in his hand and was reading it. The handwriting was familiar to him.

_Dear Padfoot,_

_Thank you, thank you, for Harry's birthday present! It was his favorite by far. One year old and already zooming along on a toy broomstick, he looked so pleased with himself. I'm enclosing a picture so you can see. You know it only rises about two feet off the ground, but he nearly killed the cat and he smashed a horrible vase Petunia sent me for Christmas (no complaints there). Of course, James thought it was so funny, says he's going to be a great Quidditch player, but we've had to pack away all the ornaments and make sure we don't take our eyes off him when he gets going._

_We had a very quiet birthday tea, just us and old Bathilda, who has always been sweet to us and who dotes on Harry. We were so sorry you couldn't come, but the Order's got to come first, and Harry's not old enough to know it's his birthday anyway! James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell- also Dumbledore's still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions. If you could visit, it would cheer him up so much. Wormy was here last weekend, I though he seemed down, but that was probably the news about the McKinnons; I cried all evening when I heard._

_Bathilda drops in most days, she's a fascinating old thing with the most amazing stories about Dumbledore, I'm not sure he'd be pleased if he knew! I don't know how much to believe, actually, because it seems incredible that Dumbledore could ever have been friends with Gellert Grindelwald. I think her mind's going, personally!_

_Lots of love,_

_Lily_

The picture was of young Harry Potter zooming around on a toy broomstick. His father, James, stood there as well and Lily was laughing and smiling. Snape took the second page of the letter, the part bearing Lily's love and signature. He then tore the picture and tossed the part with James and Harry underneath the chest of drawers. He put the picture and letter in his pocket and I withdrew from his mind before he knew I had been there. I heard him overturning drawers, smashing and ripping things. His anger and hurt was so strong I could still feel it, even though I had closed the link between our minds.

**Chapter 122**

I gave Snape however long he needed to compose himself. After scouring the room for anything important and finding nothing, I sat down on Regulus's bed. Dust poofed out from the bed that had not been slept in, for years probably. I let my mind wander freely and, surprisingly, found myself thinking of Anthony, Amy, and Dylan. I missed them. I wonder what they thought happened to me? Had they gone to pick me up the day the term ended only to find that I was not there?

"No," said a voice from the doorway. I looked up to see Snape leaning casually against the doorframe as if nothing had happened.

"What do you mean 'no'?" I asked, puzzled.

"Anthony and Amy knew about the Dark Lord being your father. They always knew. Dumbledore made them swear not to tell. The day after Dumbledore's death I went to them, told them what had happened, and moved them to a safe house," he replied.

"What?! Where are they? Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded, jumping up off the bed.

"I can't tell you where they are. They're somewhere safe, that's all that matters. And I didn't tell you because you didn't ask," Snape said lightly. I glared at him, feeling murderous. A sharp pain in my forearm made me jump and made Snape look down at his arm quizzically.

"Was that-?" I began.

"No. If he were calling us, you would know it. I…don't know what that was," he replied. I rubbed my arm subconsciously.

"What did you tell Anthony and Amy when you went to see them?" I asked, forcing my voice to be calm.

"I told them Dumbledore was killed and that it was safest for you if you came with me and joined the Death Eaters. Also that it was safest for them if they moved. They were expecting that- they've been expecting it since I told them the Dark Lord had returned to power- but they expected to have you with them."

"Were they upset?"

"They were worried but…they trust my judgment. I told them it was safest for you to be with me, and they accepted it," he replied with a shrug.

"And is it?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Is it safest for me to be with you?" I pursued.

"…no. In fact, it's the most unsafe thing ever."

His eyes met mine and the intensity of his gaze made Goosebumps rise up on my arms and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. All of a sudden, I sneezed violently. The dust was really getting to me. Snape smiled ever so faintly.

"Come on, let's go back, there's nothing here," Snape said, motioning for me to follow him out.

"Wait, I'm not finished being angry with you yet," I said with a frown.

"We can talk _civilized _about this in your room when we get back to Malfoy Manor," he replied with a sigh.

"…so you're staying with me? You're not going to run off on some secret spy mission or something?"

"I don't plan on it," he replied with a slight smile. He extended his arm and I took it. We Disapparated immediately.

When we Apparated outside of the Malfoy Manor and went inside we found Bellatrix Lestrange waiting for us.

"Hello, Princess," Bellatrix said kindly to me, then added more stiffly, "…Severus. The Dark Lord has gone away. He will not be back until tomorrow. He said to hold onto anything you found until then."

"There was nothing there worth mentioning," Snape said to her, but Bellatrix wasn't listening to him, she was looking at me.

"There wasn't anything," I confirmed awkwardly.

"Very well," Bellatrix said with a sigh, and then disappeared into the kitchen. Snape raised an eyebrow at me as we walked up the stairs.

"She likes me," I said with a sigh.

"…_Princess_?" he said with a faint smirk.

"Oh shut up," I said, scowling.

We went up to my room and locked the door. The room had become a little more to my taste since I first came to occupy it. I had been given free range to do whatever I liked to the room. I'd turned the paint on the walls and ceiling to black and made the lamps reflect green light. The furniture, which was all mahogany wood, was now darker in color as well. My room looked a bit like a dungeon…it reminded me of the Slytherin Common Room. As I looked around in pride at my handiwork, I couldn't help but wish I could go shopping in Diagon Alley for more things for my room.

"How did you do all this? You're still underage- you're not allowed to use magic," Snape said, looking around curiously.

"The Death Eaters do what I tell them. Bellatrix did most of it. Seems as if she's eager to please my father by pleasing me," I replied. I thought I saw a faint smirk on Snape's face, but it was quickly gone.

"If you really want to go to Diagon Alley, I'm sure I could find a way to take you," he said casually, "With everyone so eager to please you…it shouldn't be too hard."

"That'd be great, but…well it's not like you can just go strolling around Diagon Alley at anytime you want," I replied.

"Are you really such an idiot as to think that I would go out without disguising my appearance?" he snorted indignantly.

"How-….oh yeah…Polyjuice Potion?" I guessed.

"That would be the most convenient way, yes. I just need the hair of someone who isn't one of the Ministry's Most Wanted Wizards," he said lightly.

"There's a village not far from here. I could go and rip out some random person's hair. I could do it now, actually," I said thoughtfully.

"Good. I'll do a Disillusionment Charm for you since you can't use magic yet," he said, pulling out his wand. He tapped me on the head and I felt the cold Disillusionment Charm trickle down my back.

"Just like the old days, huh?" I said, grinning.

"Yeah."

I examined myself in the mirror. It was a good Disillusionment Charm, but it wasn't mine. I wished I could do it myself.

"I'll be glad when it's my birthday in two weeks and I can do my own Disillusionment Charm," I said with a sigh.

"What's wrong with my Disillusionment Charm?" Snape demanded.

"Nothing…it's just not as good as mine," I said slyly.

"Hmph. …Well is _was _always your specialty."

I snuck out of Malfoy Manor and walked to the Muggle village that was about a mile away. It was late and there weren't very many people out. Most of them were old and creepy and I didn't want Snape to be in the body of some weirdo, considering _I _was the one who had to walk with him. I smiled to myself when I saw a sixteen-year-old Muggle girl walking slowly along the street, kicking at empty soda cans. Snape was _so _going to hate me for this…

**Chapter 123**

It wasn't until the day after next that we were able to go to Diagon Alley. It didn't take much to convince the Dark Lord to give up some of his Polyjuice Potion he had stored. I think mostly he wanted me to leave him alone and giving me what I wanted was a more prudent way to deal with me. Of course he was in a good mood, so that helped.

Snape met me in my room the morning we were to depart. I already had a goblet of Polyjuice Potion waiting for him. The Dark Lord had given me a pouch filled with gold Galleons to spend however I wanted. I added the hair to the potion and it turned a deep shade of red. Snape sighed and downed the goblet. A few seconds passed and Snape grimaced in pain as his body shrank and contorted into that of the Muggle girl. His robes were now too big for him. Snape glanced in the mirror, horrified.

"A _girl?! _Casper Addams you are _so _dead!" Snape growled, eyes narrowed. It would have been frightening…except for the fact that his voice was now that of a sixteen-year-old girl. I couldn't help it- I cracked up. I doubled over in laughter. I laughed until tears poured down my cheeks and I couldn't laugh anymore. Finally, I got myself under control and looked up to see Snape, arms crossed, glaring at me.

"Finished?" he said darkly.

"Yeah. Sorry, but it was the only thing I could find. The rest of the people I saw were creepy and it would look bad for me to skulking around Diagon Alley with an eighty-year-old Muggle with one eye," I replied sheepishly, "Two girls walking around is less conspicuous."

Snape still didn't look pleased.

"Fine," he sighed, "Let's just get this over with."

He went and changed into a set of my spare clothes that had been gotten for me by Bellatrix at some point. When he came back, he was still frowning.

"Well, look on the bright side," I said brightly.

"What bright side?" he asked glumly.

"At least you're a pretty girl," I said quickly, then laughed and ran out the room and down the stairs before he could yell at me.

I almost crashed into Bellatrix at the foot of the stairs but she stepped out of the way just in time.

"What's wrong, Princess?" she asked me, frowning slightly.

"I turned Snape into a girl," I said, giggling. She smiled, a twisted, odd smile, then shook her head incredulously and looked up to see girl-Snape coming down the stairs. She laughed as he walked past and he glared at me as he ignored her.

"Come, Casper. We only have an hour," he said irritably. Bellatrix laughed even harder when she heard his girly voice. I smiled apologetically at Snape and followed him outside.

We Apparated in Diagon Alley to see that it was pretty much the same as it had been the last time we went to get my schoolbooks. People looked a lot glummer and any smile we saw was forced. Mist settled heavily over the roads and blocked out the sun.

"Where all do we have to go?" Snape asked, looking around. I named a list of places I wanted to go and get things, which included the Apothecary.

"Potion ingredients? Why?" Snape inquired, frowning.

"Because I'm _bored _at Malfoy Manor…I could at least brew some potions or something."

Snape followed me around, looking bored and disinterested. Whenever I made a purchase, he used magic to send it back to my room.

"Lighten up, Severus. You are, by far, the most sullen-looking sixteen-year-old girl that I have ever seen," I said hotly.

"You must not look in a mirror much, then," he muttered. I stuck out my tongue at him and went into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

Madam Malkin forced a smile as we entered her shop, but it was easy to see she was sad and worried beneath her façade.

"You girls shouldn't be out alone," she said kindly, "It's dangerous out there."

Snape and I exchanged faintly amused glances as Madam Malkin led me over to the stepping stool.

I got a few sets of robes that were made of an expensive material. They were much better than what Bellatrix had brought me when I requested clothes to wear besides my Hogwarts robes. Snape sent my packages off and then we left the store.

"Anywhere else you-" Snape began, but he was cut off by an ear-splitting shriek. We both whirled around to see a dozen Dementors gliding up the cobbled street. A wave of coldness and despair washed over me and I pulled out my wand, searching for a happy memory. I selected the only happy memory I could think of- Snape kissing me in the park.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" I shouted, waving my wand. My silver tiger Patronus shot out of the tip of my wand and charged the Dementors. Snape's silvery doe Patronus followed it. The Dementors screeched and fled, the Partonuses chasing them. The wave of despair lifted, but I was still shaking slightly.

"Oh shit. I used magic," I said, "I'm not supposed to do that."

"We must go quickly. They can't find you if we use Side-Along Apparation."

I grabbed hold of Snape's arm and we vanished from the spot.

We appeared just outside of Malfoy Manor, panting and shivering…or at least I was. Snape helped me to my feet from where I'd fallen.

"Come," he said and swept off towards the house. I followed him into the kitchen where he dug through the cupboards until he found one which contained several bars of chocolate. He took one out and gave it to me. I stared blankly at him.

"Eat," he commanded, "It'll get rid of the cold."

I obeyed and as I nibbled on the chocolate bar, the cold began to ebb away.

"I must go upstairs and change robes before the potion wears off. Stay here," he told me. He left the room. I devoured the rest of the chocolate bar and got up from the chair where I had sat. I had no intention of obeying him mindlessly this time. I hurried upstairs and into my room. My parcels were all stacked neatly in a corner from my shopping spree. I dug through the packages until I found my robes. I changed quickly out of my old Hogwarts robes into my new dark green robes. I looked at myself in the mirror. The green of my robes made my silver eyes reflect slightly green.

Five minutes later Snape came into my room, back to his old self, looking a slightly irritated, but not as angry as when I had turned him into a girl.

"I thought I told you to wait in the kitchen?" he asked smoothly.

"What am I, an Inferius?" I snorted indignantly.

"Hmph. Would you like for me to help you unpack?" Snape asked, nodding to my pile of parcels.

"No, I'm exhausted," I said, flopping down on my bed, "I'll do it tomorrow."

Snape sat down on the edge of my bed and looked at me, his expression unreadable. Frowning, I pulled myself into a sitting position.

"Why can't the Ministry find me using Side-Along Apparation?" I inquired.

"Because Side-Along Apparation only uses my magic, not yours."

"What about when I use _Lumos_?" I asked, still frowning.

"It's not considered a spell. They don't hunt you down for lighting your wand tip," he replied lightly.

A few minutes off silence passed and I lay back down on the bed, feeling mentally and physically drained. _Stupid Dementors, _I thought crossly. Then I remembered something I had been wondering about for a long time.

"Severus…can I ask you a question?" I asked hesitantly. He nodded briefly, eyes curious.

"…What happened to my mother?" I inquired, "Was…Did _he _have her killed?"

"I honestly don't know, Casper," Snape said slowly. He was telling the truth. I sighed heavily.

"I just wanted to know…I mean, I know it's stupid- I never even knew her…" My voice trailed off into silence.

"I'm sorry, Casper. I wish I did know. If I did, I would tell you," he said gently. He brushed a strand over hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear. He let his hand linger a moment then dropped it.

"I should be going, Casper. I have things to do," he said quietly.

"Of course you do," I said bitterly.

"I really would like to stay, but…maybe I'll come back later."

I didn't say anything and he stood up and left the room. I let my mind drift back over the years to the very first time I'd met Snape. I recalled our trip to Diagon Alley, buying my school things, and flying home again. I poured over my memories for a while and somehow drifted off into sleep where my memories became dreams.

**Chapter 124**

I awoke violently, confused, and shaking. My cheeks were wet with tears and Snape was standing over me looking worried.

"What is it, Casper? What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.

"A d-dream, I think…nothing more," I gasped.

"Are you _sure_?"

"It was just a dream," I assured him, "Not an insight or anything like that."

Still I couldn't stop myself from shaking. The dream had unnerved me to say the least.

Snape sat down on my bed, frowning slightly.

"Will you tell me what it was about?" he asked quietly. I hesitated for a moment.

"Dumbledore," I said softly and waited a moment before continuing, "I was sitting by the lake, near his tomb, when all of a sudden it opened…and he stood there, looking exactly as he always looked and he told me…he told me you were…dead."

Tears welled in my eyes again and I looked away, knowing it was too late to hide the emotions I felt, but thinking I could at least hide my tears.

Snape put his arms around me suddenly and pulled me close to him. I pressed my face against the warmth of his chest and sobbed uncontrollably. I couldn't help it. The dream frightened me. Snape made quieting noises and stroked my hair gently, willing me to stop crying. After a little while I did stop crying.

"It was just a dream, Casper. Nothing more. Nothing to worry about," he said gently. I recalled then a bit of a poem that I had learned in school, before I came to Hogwarts.

"'_Is all that we see or seem But a dream within a dream?'_" I murmured softly. Snape looked startled for a moment, then cleared his expression.

"Don't quote Muggle poetry here," he said lightly. I stared at him, amazed that he even knew it was Muggle poetry, but I didn't say anything.

"Severus…are you sure Dumbledore is dead?" I asked, biting my lip anxiously. A moment of silence passed.

"Quite sure," he replied and fresh tears leaked out of my eyes. I laid my head in his lap, too tired to remain sitting up. I closed my eyes as he began to stroke my hair absently. A long time passed, but I was too frightened to go back to sleep. Snape seemed to think I was, however, because he kissed my forehead gently and quoted the rest of the poem by Edgar Allan Poe.

"_Take this kiss upon the brow!And, in parting from you now,Thus much let me avow-You are not wrong, who deemThat my days have been a dream;Yet if hope has flown awayIn a night, or in a day,In a vision, or in none,Is it therefore the less gone?All that we see or seemIs but a dream within a dream.I stand amid the roarOf a surf-tormented shore,And I hold within my handGrains of the golden sand-How few! yet how they creepThrough my fingers to the deep,While I weep- while I weep!O God! can I not graspThem with a tighter clasp?O God! can I not saveOne from the pitiless wave?Is all that we see or seemBut a dream within a dream?" _

I lay there in silence, marveling that he knew all of the poem. I hadn't even remembered the rest of it. Gently as he could, Snape moved me off his lap and lay me down on the pillows. I remained pretending to be asleep. He kissed my forehead once more and sighed before leaving.

**Chapter 125**

Saturday came quickly and the Dark Lord ordered that everyone would take part in attempting to get Harry Potter during his transport. He broke us into groups for apparently the Order's plan was to have multiple Potters flying around under the influence of Polyjuice Potion. It was a rather brilliant idea, I had to admit. I was glad to be placed in a group with Snape.

About an hour before midnight all 30 of us took off towards Potter's house. It felt good to be flying on a broomstick again. Somehow it didn't surprise me that my father could fly without a broom, but it was eerie to watch nonetheless. I stuck close to Snape as I dared.

When we reached Potter's house a dozen or so Harry Potters were in the air, some on brooms, some on threstals, and one on a giant bike accompanied by Hagrid. Snape and I took off with a group after the Potter accompanied by none other than Remus Lupin. The Death Eater ahead of us was casting spells and missing his target. Then he got to a good spot, raised his wand, and aimed it directly at Lupin's back. Snape raised his wand and aimed it at the Death Eater's wand hand.

"_Sectumsempta!_" Snape shouted, but his spell missed and hit Potter instead.

Snape swore loudly inside his head and I was treated to a stream of swearwords I had never heard him use before. Curious to know if it was the real Potter or not, I prodded Lupin's mind.

_It's not the real Potter, _I informed the furious Snape, _It's George Weasley. I think you've cut off his ear._

Lupin was having trouble keeping George on the broom, but he still managed to rocket ahead of us. We continued to follow, though Snape and I both knew it was pointless. We were stopped by some sort of shield that allowed George and Lupin to pass through. I swore loudly, knowing that this would mean we had to turn around and find another Potter to chase.

When we returned to Malfoy Manor the Dark Lord was furious. We all steered clear of him as he headed down to the dungeon. We could still hear from where we were though.

"_You told me the problem would be solved by using another's wand!_" The Dark Lord shouted loudly. A scream of unendurable agony echoed through the house.

"You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander!" shouted the Dark Lord. I felt my face pale. So the prisoner was Ollivander, the wand maker.

"_Come," _said Snape in my mind, _"To your room. You do not need to hear this."_

I obeyed without question as Snape led me up the stairs, to my room, and shut the door behind us.

"It's probably best to stay up here for a while. People tend to get killed when he's this angry," Snape said quietly. I nodded my head slowly.

"When do you get to go back to Hogwarts as Headmaster?" I inquired, sitting down on my bed.

"Once the Ministry has fallen. It shouldn't be too much longer now…"

Snape was correct in his assumption. It was little more than a week later when a group of Death Eaters set of with my father to the Ministry. I stayed behind in my room. Everything happened rather quickly, however. The others didn't come back immediately but Snape popped in to tell me that Scrimgeour had been killed and replaced with Pius Thicknesse, who was still under the Imperius Curse. Then the other Death Eaters were sent to search for Potter.

"There will probably be less Death Eaters around here now. It's my understanding that they're going to be tailing various members of the Order until they find Potter," Snape said to me.

A few days later the _Daily Prophet, _which was now under Death Eater control, announced the Scrimgeour had 'resigned'. It also said that it was mandatory for every young witch and wizard to attend Hogwarts. Also, they were doing a Blood-Status Check at the Ministry. All witches and wizards had to attend to verify that they were pure-blood or at least half-blood. Anyone found to be a Mudblood disappeared mysteriously. I didn't even want to know what they were doing to Mudbloods so I didn't ask.

My father was planning on going abroad for reasons unknown to me. The day before he was set to leave I asked for a word with him and he granted me audience.

"I was wondering if I could go with Severus back to Hogwarts," I said, feeling timid but keeping my voice strong, "There's nothing for me to do here. I could be useful at Hogwarts. I'm sure there will be disgruntled teachers and students who won't be happy with Severus being headmaster. Also, I have yet to complete my magical education."

"I see…yes. I have no problem with that arrangement. The Carrows are going as well, to teach. Alecto will be teaching Muggle Studies and Amycus will fill the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Things will be very different at Hogwarts. They way they should be. Are you sure you wish to go?" the Dark Lord asked me.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Very well. I will inform Severus that you are to go with him. I expect him to keep a close eye on you and keep you safe."

I bowed my head respectfully and left the room.

I went up to my room and started packing my things excitedly. I could finally go back to Hogwarts! About Twenty minutes later Snape knocked on my door then entered. To my surprise he was smiling faintly.

"I see you're all set to go," he said lightly.

"Yeah. When do we leave?" I asked eagerly. He looked amused.

"Whenever you're ready. I've been staying at Hogwarts for the past week. The Professors won't arrive for a few weeks."

"So Hogwarts is empty?"

"All except the ghosts…and Filch…and Hagrid," he replied.

"I'm surprised Hagrid hasn't tried to kill you."

"Well with the Carrows and other Death Eaters dropping in and out…"

"I see your point," I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder, "I'm ready to go if you are."

I followed Snape out of Malfoy Manor and grabbed his arm. We Apparated just outside the Hogwarts grounds. All was quiet except for the chirping of birds. Walking along the grounds and then throughout the empty castle felt eerie. There was no one around.

"You'll be able to go pretty much wherever you want. You're still the Dark Princess or whatever," he said with a faint smile, "And I think it will soon become public knowledge."

"If it means I can spend more time with you, then I don't care," I replied.

"You'll know all of the passwords to all of the places," he continued as if he hadn't heard me, "and you can choose whether or not you wish to attend classes. If any of the teachers give you grief you get to punish them. You can sleep in the Slytherin dormitories…I doubt _they'll _give you trouble."

We walked in silence for a while up the staircases and towards the Headmaster's office that had once been Dumbledore's and was now Snape's.

"Your birthday is tomorrow, isn't it?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. Seventeen at last," I said with a grin. I'd been looking forward to it secretly. I'd be able to do magic without worrying about the Ministry of Magic…of course now that my father had taken over the Ministry, I probably didn't have much to worry about. Still, it was nice to know I was finally going to be of age.

We reached the stone griffin that hid the Headmaster's office and Snape gave the password- _Salazaar. _The moment we stepped into the room I let out a startled gasp as my eyes were drawn to the portrait right behind the Headmaster's chair- the portrait of Dumbledore.

"Ah. I wondered when you'd be bringing her here, Severus," said the portrait of Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling exactly as they had in real life. I felt faint and swayed on my feet. Snape put an arm out to steady me.

"Sorry. I forgot to warn you about that…" he murmured guiltily. The room was filled with portraits, former Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts. Of course it was only natural that Dumbledore's portrait had been added, but still…it unnerved me. I thought of the dream I'd had and shuddered. Snape took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly, knowing that I was thinking of the dream. Apparently it didn't matter that the portrait of Dumbledore was watching us as he held my hand.

A few moments passed and Snape indicated that I should sit in the seat in front of his desk. He looked at the portrait of Dumbledore, as if daring it to say something about my presence, but Dumbledore remained silent. Snape didn't sit down, however.

"I'll have to go down to the kitchens and tell the house-elves to light a fire in the Slytherin dormitory so it will be warm later tonight. Will you be okay sitting here?" He asked me. I nodded briefly. He touched my shoulder lightly to reassure me before leaving.

I raised my eyes tentatively to the portrait of Dumbledore.

"So, Casper…you discovered the truth about your father."

It was a statement, but I nodded in confirmation anyway.

"I figured it out ages ago…or at least I suspected as much," I said quietly.

"I should have known you would follow Severus when he left to join the Death Eaters. The two of you have always shared a…a special bond, of sorts, haven't you?"

"Yes. I can't explain it, but…"

"Your fate is intertwined with his," finished Dumbledore. I nodded my head.

"Did I make the right decision?" I asked fretfully after a moment of silence, "Going with him, I mean? Would I have been safer if I stayed here?"

"No one can say for certain how things would have turned out, Casper," Dumbledore replied wisely.

"But…I would have put Anthony, Amy, and Dylan in danger. The Dark Lord would have found out about me eventually, I think."

"If I had found myself in the same position, I probably would have done exactly what you did," he said thoughtfully.

"But Severus said that being with him was probably the least safe thing in the world for me."

"Severus cares more for your safety than anything. The life of a Death Eater is a dangerous one. We didn't know how Lord Voldemort would react to the fact that he had a daughter. He could just as easily have-"

"-killed me, I know. Severus told me. I like it better this way, I think. Anthony, Amy, and Dylan are safe…or so says Severus."

"They are safe," Dumbledore assured me, "I arranged for them to be taken care of in case of emergencies. I was afraid something like this might happen."

I let the silence hang in the air as I contemplated telling him about the dream I had.

"Something troubling you, Casper?" the portrait asked kindly. I frowned and looked away.

"Just…just a dream I had," I muttered.

"Tell me about it," he encouraged.

I told Dumbledore about my dream without looking up at him until the very end. He looked contemplative.

"It was just a dream, of course," I said slowly, "I would have known if it was something else, but it was…unnerving, nonetheless."

"Dreams often are. Don't worry about Severus. He can take care of himself," Dumbledore assured me.

**Chapter 126 **

At that moment the door opened and Snape walked back in. He didn't look surprised to see me talking to the portrait of Dumbledore. I was surprised, however, to find the caretaker, Mr. Filch, walking behind him.

"Casper is it?" growled Filch.

"Yes?" I asked coolly.

"Your cat, Gabriel…he's been stayin down in the dungeons with me and Ms. Norris," he replied. Ms. Norris was his cat. I hadn't forgotten about Gabriel. I had worried about him for a while, but I thought maybe Jen had gotten him for me.

"Really? That's great," I said with a relieved grin.

"Ms. Norris has really taken a liking to him…she's going to have kittens," the caretaker continued.

"Oh," I said, surprised, "Okay then."

"I just thought I'd let you know…if you want one of the kittens when they're older you're welcome to take one. If not, they'll all be staying at Hogwarts with me."

Filch sounded rather excited. Probably he was going to form some sort of spy-cat army with Ms. Norris's kittens. The thought made me smile.

"They'd be better off staying here. More rats and all," I said.

Filch nodded his head then skulked off out of the door.

Snape sat down at his desk. It was difficult for me to think of him as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. I imagined him sitting in Dumbledore's chair in the Great Hall and making long Beginning-of-the-Year speeches like Dumbledore had.

"Who's going to be Potions Master?" I asked Snape curiously.

"Professor Slughorn agreed to stay," Dumbledore replied before Snape could answer. Snape look briefly annoyed, then shook his head carelessly.

"Potter's not coming back, is he?" I asked Dumbledore.

"No. Harry's gone on an important mission," Dumbledore replied. I grinned to myself.

"What're you smiling about?" Snape asked, noticing my smile.

"…I'm gonna be best in Potions again," I said happily. A brief smile flashed across Snape's face, then he picked up a quill and started writing something, doing boring Headmsater things no doubt. I stood up and stretched.

"Where are you going?" Dumbledore asked me.

"None of your business," I retorted coolly. I still wasn't very fond of Dumbledore.

"Where are you going, Casper?" Snape asked without looking up from his work.

"To take a walk by the lake. Maybe fly some," I replied with a shrug. Dumbledore looked briefly irritated, but I left before he could say anything. He was just a portrait anyway. I wasn't scared of him.

Hogwarts grounds was still blissfully empty. There was no one to stop me from going into the broom shed and getting out one of the old Hogwarts brooms. I swung my leg over the broom and kicked off into the air.

I flew for hours, finally feeling free. The grass was super green and the water in the lake was very blue. I swooped down and let my feet trail in the water a few times. I didn't even mind the sunlight so much because it kept ducking behind the patchy clouds.

When the sun went down and the stars came out I saw Snape walking out from the castle. I swooped down to the ground and landed beside him.

"What're you doing?" I asked curiously.

"Coming outside for some fresh air," he replied lightly, "Why didn't you answer Dumbledore when he asked you where you were going?"

"Because I don't particularly _like _Dumbledore," I said with a shrug. He looked faintly amused and didn't bother responding. I tried to suppress a yawn and he raised an eyebrow at me.

"What? I've had a long day," I said defensively.

"Then go to bed."

"What, and leave you out here all alone for the giant squid to eat you?" I said melodramatically.

"Go to bed, Casper."

"Fine," I said sulkily, "I feel so unwanted."

He rolled his eyes and I flashed him a grin before going to put the broomstick up.

The Slytherin dormitories were empty and a brief wave of loneliness washed over me before I saw something sitting on my bed.

"Gabriel!" I exclaimed happily. The cat opened his bright green eyes and meowed loudly. I crawled into bed and the cat curled up beside me.

"I guess I won't be completely alone," I said, smiling faintly as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Excitement jolted through me when I awoke the next morning. It was my birthday! I got to my feet excitedly and dressed in the silver robes I'd bought in Diagon Alley. Gabriel, who was still stretched out on my pillow, sensed my excitement and pricked his ears forward curiously.

"It's my birthday, Gabriel. I'm seventeen now," I said happily, "I can legally do magic."

The cat meowed loudly and stood up, stretching as he did so, and began to lick himself.

When I made my way up to Snape's office, Gabriel followed. I knocked on Snape's door and he bade me enter.

"Happy Birthday, Casper," Snape said as I sat down in a chair across from his desk. He smiled hesitantly before pulling a large, broom-shaped package out from behind his desk. My eyes lit up and I tore it open excitedly.

"Wow! It's a Firebolt, isn't it?" I asked, grinning. Snape nodded and I noticed the portrait of Albus Dumbledore smiling as well.

"Happy Birthday, Casper Addams," said Dumbledore and the sentence was echoed throughout the room by the other portraits. I nodded my head awkwardly to each of them and muttered an embarrassed 'thanks'.

A quiet knock on the door interrupted the silence and four food-bearing house-elves scurried in. They set the food and a pitcher of pumpkin juice on Snape's desk, then bowed before hurrying from the room.

We ate breakfast in silence and I could tell something was troubling Snape. I could also sense it was something he wouldn't share if I asked him, so I remained silent. When I finished eating I told him I was going out to fly. He barely acknowledged me and I left the room only mildly irritated.

I met Filch on my way out to the grounds.

"Kittens!" He wheezed excitedly, "Four of them! 2 male, 2 female."

"Congratulations," I said, faintly amused, "Can I come see them?"

"Of course, of course. Follow me."

Mrs. Norris had given birth in the corner of Filch's creepy office. It was dimly lit and well-oiled chains hung from the ceiling. The cats were in a corner on a soft blue blanket. Both males and one of the females were black. The other female was dark brown. Their eyes were shut and they were still damp. They mewed loudly when Ms. Norris moved to lick them.

**Chapter 127**

I stayed with the kittens for almost two hours, rubbing their little kitten heads and talking softly to them. Finally I took my broomstick and went out to the grounds.

I couldn't help but feel a little lonely as I zoomed through the air on my new Firebolt. It wasn't something I usually felt and it unnerved me. I had very few friends and I'd never even had a boyfriend. Most girls my age would be spending their birthday with friends and family, having a party, but me…I was all alone, flying.

Feeling gloomy I went and stored my Firebolt in the broom shed before heading back to the castle. It was past 3:00 and I had missed lunch. I was hungry, but too depressed to go down to the kitchen and get something.

Snape wasn't in his office when I got there, much to my annoyance. Irritated, I raised an eyebrow at the portrait of Dumbledore.

"He went down to the Slytherin dormitories. He's waiting for you there."

"Why?" I grumbled.

"He didn't say."

Still annoyed, but now a little curious as well I walked down to the Slytherin dorms. He was sitting in a chair staring absent-mindedly at the fire. He stood up when I entered and walked over to me. My heart began to pound when I saw the look in his eye. It was a look I hadn't seen since the night in the park when he had kissed me…

Without saying anything he touched my cheek gently, then he kissed me like he had never kissed me before. He was completely open and unguarded. His emotion and thoughts were clear to me now…and I liked what I saw there…but I had one question.

I pushed him gently against the cold wall and held him there a moment before breaking the kiss. His black eyes bored into mine, questioning.

"What's changed?" I murmured. He knew exactly what I meant- why had he gone from uncertainty to the strength of what he was feeling now.

"You're seventeen now, it's legal. All the other reasons…well right now I can't recall them," he said, "They obviously weren't very important."

I chuckled quietly and kissed him again.

We made our way into the dormitory somehow. We stood there for a moment, kissing, his arms around my waist, crushing me to him. Excitement coursed through me as he slipped his hands beneath my shirt.

Soon I was naked and he laid me on one of the beds. He was breathing heavily, his warm breath felt good on my bare skin. I shivered pleasantly as he kissed my neck, then started to move lower. Anxiety pulsed through me and I groaned. He paused and raised an eyebrow at me.

"You wait until you're already naked to have second thoughts?" he asked, sounding faintly amused.

"Not second thoughts, just feeling…" my voice trailed off as I tried to think of a word. _Nervous, apprehensive, worried, _I thought to myself. Snape smirked.

"A-awkward," I finished my sentence, gasping as he bit my collarbone gently.

"I don't like any of those adjectives. Don't worry, Casper…you won't feel that way in a minute," he murmured. I couldn't help but feel reassured by his voice. He kissed me lightly on the lips before leading a trail of kisses lower and lower…he paused at my stomach.

"May I continue?" he asked calmly.

"God, yes! Please," I groaned. He smirked again and chuckled.

Instead of continuing down, he moved back up to my breasts and began to kiss them, licking me and making me moan with pleasure, but it wasn't what I wanted…I couldn't find breath enough to tell him with words.

"_As if I don't know that already," _his voice said smugly in my head. I blushed and was going to retort, but was cut off by my own loud gasp as his hand slid my legs apart. He pushed one finger inside of me and soon another followed. He moved them experimentally, drawing a ragged gasp from me.

After doing clever things with his fingers that left me breathless but unsatisfied he withdrew them. I started to reach for his hand, but he stopped me by biting me lightly on my breast, making me moan. He licked the fingers that had been inside of me and kissed my lips lightly before moving down and putting his mouth where his fingers had been. My back arched as he slipped his tongue inside of me and I cried his name loudly.

His tongue mimicked the movements made by his fingers, _almost _bringing me to the release I knew was there. I was soaked in sweat now. He smiled and kissed me I clutched at his pants and I felt him smile while we kissed.

_Severus, please… _I thought, knowing he could hear me, _I'm dying!_

He broke the kiss to chuckle, but I didn't care- I had found the zipper on his pants.

He slid inside of me, filling me more completely than his fingers or his tongue. He moved slowly as we both got used to the feeling, then faster.

I felt him cum inside of me at the exact moment I climaxed, crying his name loudly as I did. When he moment passed he collapsed on the bed beside me, gathering me to him and pressing a kiss onto my sweat-soaked forehead.

"I'm surprised Dumbledore hasn't walked out of his picture frame to come see what the screaming was about," he teased lightly. I smiled.

"He can't _really _do that, can he?"

"Of course not," he replied, chuckling. Tired, I lay my head against his chest and closed my eyes. Sleep threatened to overtake me. I heard Snape chuckle lightly and he pressed another kiss onto my forehead.

"Happy Birthday, Casper," he whispered.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry, but that's all for now. Review and let me know what you thought!**

**~Vampyre**


	8. Book 7 Part 2: The Final Chapter

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to all who have commented. I'm sure you will love this. Sorry it took so long to update. If all goes accordingly, this should be the last Chapter, so sit back and enjoy!**

**~Vampyre**

The next morning when I awoke I was smiling. I was also a little sore. My smile faded when I found that I was alone.

"_I'm in my office," _said Snape's voice suddenly in my head, _"It would have looked suspicious if I hadn't shown up to do some work this morning."_

I stood up and stretched before replying.

_Okay. Dumbledore isn't suspicious, is he?_

"_Not at all. Why don't you go take a bath? You can use the Prefect's bathroom. It has all sorts of things the regular baths don't. I'm sure it will help take the soreness from you. The password is 'pine fresh'."_

_Alright, see you in a little while, _I replied.

The Prefect's bathroom _was _a lot bigger than the regular one- big enough for me to swim in the bathtub. There were multicolored taps, each one with different soaps or bubbles. When the tub was full of lavender soap and huge purple bubbles, I slid into the warm water. The heat soothed away all my minor aches and pains courtesy of the night before.

After I finished my bath, I dressed and made my way up to Snape's office. He was sitting at his desk, writing something as always, but he looked up when I entered. The strength of the emotion in his eyes made me flush slightly. I was glad his back was to Dumbledore.

"Did you sleep well, Casper?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure," I replied, blushing even harder.

"_Stop blushing. You'll make Dumbledore curious," _Snape said in my mind.

_Easy for you to say. You never display emotion, _I thought in response. I did my best to clear my thoughts so I wouldn't blush and sat down across from his desk.

We didn't have much time alone after that night. In fact, the very next day teachers began to arrive. Professor McGonagall was the first to arrive then came the others. A few were surprised to see me at Snape's side. Others were not. I asked Snape why some of them weren't surprised and received an answer from Dumbledore's portrait.

"Only a few of the more trustworthy teachers were told of your connection to Lord Voldemort," said Dumbledore.

All of the teachers were content to ignore Snape and myself, especially once the Carrows arrived. They were Death Eaters sent by my father to teach at Hogwarts and _they _were hard to ignore. Mostly I found them obnoxious- bowing to me whenever they saw me, calling me 'my lady'. At first, Snape was wary around them, but he gradually relaxed- even around the other teachers. We would walk together around Hogwarts grounds whenever he needed a break from working. We would link arms as we walked and I matched his steps stride for stride. I was glad the other teachers acted as if we didn't exist.

**Chapter 128**

As September 1st, the first day of school, approached, I began to feel anxious. Snape could tell something was wrong and during one of our long walks on Hogwarts grounds, he asked me about it.

"I'm not sure I want to go to the start-of-term feast," I admitted.

"Why not?" he asked calmly. We spotted Professor Sprout down by the lake and Snape took my hand, gently leading me off in the opposite direction.

"I still don't like attention and I don't want everyone's attention focused on me right off the bat," I murmured.

"You do not have to attend," he assured me and kissed my hand. After a quick look around to make sure no one was looking (and not really caring if they were), I stood on tiptoes and kissed him hungrily. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him.

"This is the last night the dorms will be empty…we should take advantage of that fact," he whispered in my ear, sending butterflies flying through my stomach in excitement. I kissed him again to let him know just how much I was looking forward to it.

I spent most of the next day moping around the castle while Snape prepared for the start-of-term feast. I went flying and played with Gabriel and the kittens. I read books in the restricted section of the library because I could do that now without asking. Finally, the train arrived and I returned to Snape's office.

"You can stay here during the feast and I'll come to you directly afterwards," he assured me. We were standing just outside his office door so Dumbledore didn't see when he kissed me goodbye.

I went into his office and sat down, not in my usual chair, but in his chair. A few of the portraits on the walls hissed disapprovingly.

"That is the Headmaster's chair," said one of them, "You aren't supposed to sit there."

"She's fine," Dumbledore assured them, "Severus won't mind."

I ignored all of the portraits and let my mind wander through the students who were just now entering the castle. I found Jen's mind quickly and examined her thoughts of me. She thought I had run off with Snape. She had my suitcase with all my things in it.

"So why didn't you go to the feast, Casper?" Dumbledore asked, jarring me back into reality.

"Uhm…I don't like being the center of attention. Severus is going to tell them, in his own uncertain terms, who I am and how I am to be treated," I replied with a shrug.

There was an extended period of silence and instead of returning to prowling through the minds of my fellow students, I was thinking about something. Finally, I struck up a conversation with Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore, can I ask you a question?" I asked hesitantly.

"You may as well," he said merrily with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Why did you choose Severus to be my escort to Diagon Alley when I first became a witch?"

Dumbledore observed me silently, considering his answer.

"I knew at the time who your father was. I knew you would have to be watched carefully, to make sure you didn't turn out like him. After careful consideration, I chose Severus because, no matter how you turned out, he was someone you could get along with. And Severus, well, he needed someone like you in his life," he said quietly.

"What do you mean someone like me?"

"Someone to care for. To protect. To love."

I felt myself blush and turned my face away so Dumbledore couldn't see.

"So you are the reason our fates are intertwined, then?" I said after a moment of silence.

"You might say that."

I looked up at him and smiled, thinking perhaps I didn't hate Dumbledore as much as I once had.

A tapping on the window distracted me momentarily. It was an owl, delivering the Daily Prophet. I opened the window and took the paper. I sat back down in Snape's chair and unrolled the paper to see a large picture of Snape beneath a headline that read "Severus Snape Confirmed as Hogwarts Headmaster". I read the accompanying article and smiled to myself.

When Snape returned from the start-of-term feast, he was frowning slightly. I grinned at him and waved the newspaper in the air.

"You've made the front page, Severus," I informed him. He took the paper and read it, his frown quickly replaced by a smirk. He tossed the paper aside on the desk.

"You should head down to the Slytherin dormitories, Casper," he said to me.

"What did you tell the school regarding me?" I asked, refusing to evacuate his chair just yet.

"I told them you were sent by the Dark Lord to oversee the management of the school and that you were to be treated with the utmost respect…but I wouldn't expect it, if I were you. Most of the students hate me, so I imagine they'll hate you as well."

"I don't care about any of that, really," I said with a shrug, "I'll see you in the morning, Severus."

"Goodnight, Casper."

I caught up with the rest of the student body as they made their way to the dorms. Nearly all of them looked utterly terrified of me. Some bowed nervously, others merely scampered out of the way. The Slytherins were the same. The Common Room emptied quickly when I went and sat in the chair in front of the fire. I grinned slightly to myself.

"Casper!" squealed a voice. Before I could look up, I was grabbed and hugged roughly. It was my blonde-haired, green-eyed best friend.

"Jen," I managed to say, "Good to see you."

"I never thought I'd see you again until Snape mentioned you at the start-of-term feast. He's Headmaster now; I never expected that, did you? Oh, I have all of your things, except Gabriel, I don't know what happened to him. Did you take him? Oh it is so _great _that you are back!" She exclaimed, talking a mile a minute.

"Chill, Jen," I said as a few heads peeked nervously out of the dorms and just as quickly ducked back inside.

"Sorry," she breathed.

"Gabriel stayed here. He and Ms. Norris had kittens," I answered one of the questions she had asked.

"Is it true that you are a Death Eater?" she interrupted quickly, eyes wide. I nodded and showed her the Dark Mark on my wrist.

"On top of that…can you keep a secret?" I asked her. She nodded quickly.

"Of course," she promised.

"The Dark Lord is my father," I whispered. Her eyes practically popped out of her head.

"For real? Shit. Wow. That's…wow."

I chuckled inwardly at her reaction. Typical Jen. She sat down on the couch. A few moments passed.

"So are you and Snape like a couple now?" she asked suddenly. I jumped, startled, and blushed.

"Uhm…"

"Ha!" she exclaimed, a familiar gleam in her eye, "I knew it!"

"Wait a second. You can't go telling everybody, okay? …not that it _really _matters, but…we'd prefer it be kept quiet. Besides, I don't think it's really a _couple _sort of thing. It's more like…"

"Friends with benefits?" she suggested.

"Yeah."

"What _sort _of benefits exactly?" Jen inquired, a slight smile on her face. I flashed her a mischievous grin.

"The _good _kind of benefits," I replied lightly.

"I knew it," she repeated happily. I punched her lightly in the arm and stood up. I stretched and nodded towards the dormitories.

"I'm going to bed. You coming?"

"Yep," she said, scampering after me.

**Chapter 129**

The next morning at breakfast there was a large circle around Jen and me. No one but her wanted to sit anywhere near me. The other Slytherins, her friends, were beckoning her to come and join them and she looked as if she wanted to. I looked around the Great Hall and saw Snape sitting up at the teacher's table. There was a wide circle around him, too.

"Go sit with your friends," I said to Jen, standing up.

"Oh, Casper, are you sure?" she asked me. I nodded and took my plate over to the teacher's table and sat down beside Snape.

"Good morning, Casper," he said as I sat down as close to him as possible.

"Good morning. …they are all scared of us," I murmured quietly.

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not."

"Then don't worry about it. I'm sure it will get better with time."

I shrugged and began to eat my breakfast. Snape looked at me for a little while, and then continued to eat as well.

"_You told your friend about us," _he said suddenly in my mind, startling me. He didn't sound particularly angry about it.

_Yeah, I did. How did you know? _I asked him.

"_I found it in your mind."_

_Oh, so you just go poking around in my mind whenever you want to now? _I demanded, trying to sound angry, but I really wasn't and he knew it.

"_No. I was just curious to see if you told her about us so I prodded your mind a bit. I would never try to find anything you didn't want me to," _he promised. I shrugged again and continued eating.

I wish Snape was right and I _could _have stopped worrying about the kids who hated us. But soon there were death threats and murderous attempts. Our food had been poisoned, traps set, spells cast. The students responsible were punished severely, of course. The ones that we caught, anyway. Filch was happier than ever because Snape allowed him to put the well-oiled chains in his dungeon office to good use. We never caught who was trying to poison our food. I suspected it was some of the house-elves who worked in the kitchen, who thought Snape murdered Dumbledore. We had to be extra careful. We no longer ate the food that came from Hogwarts, but went down to the village to eat where we could watch our food being prepared.

On top of that, some of the rebelling students were graffiting the walls in the castle. That's how we knew Potter's little group, _Dumbledore's Army, _who had fought against Umbridge, was still around. They would sneak out at night and write things like: _Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting, _and things like that. Snape was annoyed by it. Anyone that was caught was sent straight to the Carrows.

We were coming back from Hogsmeade one evening, not walking particularly fast, silently cherishing our time together. Snape was holding my hand but let go abruptly when we saw a figure with a lantern coming towards us. We both had our wands out, warily facing the approacher. I was first to recognize the wheezing, limping figure and lowered my wand.

"Miss Casper…Professor Snape…your office, sir, it's been broken into!" Filch wheezed. I noticed, with a small note of satisfaction, that he addressed me before Snape. He probably had a smidgen more respect for me because I was the one to suggest his chains be put to good use.

"By whom? What was taken?" he demanded, "When?"

"I don't know who did it. The Sword of Gryffindor…they've taken the Sword of Gryffindor. I just passed by your office and noticed the door was open. I ran straight out here, sir," said Filch. Snape strode past him, emanating anger. I ran after him.

"Thank you, Mr. Filch," I called back over my shoulder.

It didn't take us long to catch the culprits- Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. They were friends of Potters and very loyal to Gryffindor, though one of the girls was actually in Hufflepuff. They never told us why they tried to steal it, even when we questioned them in Snape's office, but we caught them smuggling it down the staircase.

"Now it's time to decide your punishment," said Snape to them. He did not ask me for my opinion on their punishment, as he usually did.

"You will go into the Forbidden Forest to do work with the groundskeeper," Snape said to them, "Now get out of my sight!"

The three scampered from his office, relief radiating from them. I had sensed Snape's conflicting emotions throughout the whole altercation. In the end, he had let them off especially easy and he knew it. The kids would just be having a laugh in the forest- Hagrid was one of them. A friend of Potter.

"You did a nice thing, Severus," I said, the surprise in my voice evident.

"Yeah, so?" he replied sardonically, sitting down in his chair, "I can be nice sometimes."

"I know that, but why for _them_?" I asked curiously.

"My promise to Dumbledore," he said meaningfully. I frowned slightly. The promise to keep Potter safe, I knew that's what he was referring to, but how it was relevant, I was still confused. How did letting his friends off help Potter? Was it possible he was really developing a soft spot for the Potter boy?

"_Casper, you spend more time in my head than anyone else. You should already know my feelings for the subject," _Snape said in my mind.

_I never paid attention to those things really. I figured you would not want me to, so I didn't ever pry into the matter._

He looked mildly surprised for a brief second then shrugged.

"A more pressing matter is this," said Snape, turning to the portrait of Dumbledore.

_Wait, why is that more important? _I asked in his head, not wanting to sound ignorant to Dumbledore. In a matter of seconds, Snape revealed a quick flash of memory to me in his mind.

_It was Snape and Dumbledore, sitting in Snape's office back when it was Dumbledore's. It looked exactly the same as it did now. It was sometime last year, shortly before Dumbledore's death._

"_When the time comes you must give this sword to Potter," Dumbledore said._

"_Why?" Snape asked._

"_It will help him in his quest."_

"_Very well, but I will not give it to him directly," Snape said coolly._

Back in present time, Snape picked up the Sword of Gryffindor absent-mindedly and ran his fingers over the golden hilt.

"Make a copy of it," Dumbledore said to him. Snape did it without hesitation, using _Geminio. _An identical, but worthless sword appeared next to the original.

"Now you must hide the real sword and have the false one sent to a vault in Gringotts Bank. Tell no one it is false," Dumbledore continued, "Put the original in the hidden hole behind my portrait."

I watched, fascinated, as Dumbledore's portrait swung forward, revealing a hole. Snape put the sword in and then turned to me.

"Fetch the Carrows for me," Snape said to me.

What am I, your lapdog? I asked sardonically, but he knew I wasn't really annoyed.

"Casper, _please _fetch the Carrows for me?" he replied in the same sarcastic tone. I smirked as I left the room.

The Carrows were in charge of all punishment dolled out to children who got detention. All the other teachers were supposed to refer students to them for punishment. Most of them didn't. Amycus taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, which was now the Dark Arts. He made his students practice the Cruciatus Curse on people who earned detentions. Alecto, his sister, taught Muggle Studies, which was now compulsory for all students. She taught everyone exactly what my father wanted them to be taught- about how Muggles are stupid animals who forced wizards into hiding and now the natural order was being restored.

Alecto and Amycus Carrow were both found in the Dark Arts classroom. There was no class there and they were talking quietly to each other. Both bowed when I entered.

"Professor Snape requires your assistance," I said to them. The both nodded and followed me back up to Snape's office.

"Alecto, Amycus, I need this taken to my vault at Gringotts immediately. A student has just attempted to steal it," Snape said to them.

"We'll do it right away, Snape," said Alecto. They left. Obedient little lapdogs, they were. I sat down in my usual chair across from Snape.

"I feel more at ease now that the real sword is hidden," Dumbledore commented from his frame. I looked up at him.

"Why?" I asked him. Snape also raised an eyebrow at Dumbledore.

"The sword is very important to Voldemort. That is all I will say on the matter," He said with a sigh.

_I wonder why the Sword of _Gryffindor _is important to my father, _I thought silently.

"_I have no idea," _said Snape in my head.

**Chapter 130**

A few days later Snape and I were sitting in his office. I had just finished my Dark Arts class, taught by Amycus, one of the only professors who respected me. All of a sudden on one of the portraits on the walls, Phineas Nigellus, appeared in his frame, panting and out of breath.

"Professor Snape…the Potter boy has taken my portrait from Grimmauld Place. He and a girl and a boy from the sound of it are together," said Phineas.

"Where are they?" Dumbledore and Snape asked simultaneously.

"I haven't the faintest idea. They _blindfolded _me," he said indignantly, "They asked me about the sword, the Weasley girl, and before I left asked if I could bring Dumbledore to them, which of course I cannot."

They discussed this new even for the better part of a half an hour. In the end, it was decided that Phineas would return to Potter and his friends whenever they summoned him in an attempt to find out where they were. Over the next few weeks, he disappeared and reappeared a few times a week, but with no useful news.

As Christmas approached the attacks on Snape and myself increased. I imagined the students were trying to get in a few good counts of attempted murder before the holidays. Therefore, the punishment increased also. The Carrows were now using the Cruciatus Curse on any student who warranted such a severe punishment. We reinstated Umbridge's old decree, which banned meetings of more than three students due to a rumor that Dumbledore's Army was reorganizing and responsible for most of the mutiny.

On Christmas Eve Snape was waiting for me in the Slytherin Common Room when I awoke. Most of the students were outside having a snowball fight. Those who were in the Common Room soon left, except Jen who looked mildly curious.

"What's up?" I asked Snape when I came out of the dorm to find him waiting. He looked pointedly at Jen.

"Jen, could you scram for a minute?" I asked her.

"I'm working on an essay," she said, lifting up her parchment.

"I'll finish it for you if you leave," I promised. She let out a melodramatic sigh, but winked at me as she disappeared into the dormitories. Snape dug around in his robes and pulled out a bottle of a mud-colored potion. I squinted at it, frowning slightly.

"Polyjuice potion?" I asked curiously, "What for?"

"It's Christmas Eve. I want to go into the village without people shooting us dirty looks. I swiped two hairs the last time I went to Diagon Alley," he informed me, pulling two small vials out of his pocket.

"Brilliant," I said with a smile, "You better not have picked an ugly person for me though."

"Would I do that?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yes," I said, pouting, "Maybe."

He chuckled and conjured up two goblets. He poured an equal amount of Polyjuice potion in each and then added the hairs. One turned light purple, the other turned red. He handed me the one that turned purple.

"I'll need Slytherin robes. The boy I picked would be too short to fit mine," Snape said.

I scanned the dorms quickly with my mind.

"The boy's dormitory is empty. Go nick you some," I said to him. He nodded in agreement and went into the boy's dormitory, leaving me alone to drink my potion.

It tasted like something flowery- lavender maybe? My features began to distort and I looked at myself in a mirror. My bones stretched and I became a little taller. My pale skin darkened a shade and my eyes turned from silver to green.

"Well, at least I'm still pretty," I said aloud to myself.

"Beautiful, really," said a boy coming out of the dormitories. It took me a minute to fully accept that this was Snape. He was a teenager around my age. He had shoulder-length black hair, beautiful pale skin, and bright blue eyes. He was a little taller than I was and not too skinny.

"Oh…um…wow," I said quietly, transfixed. Snape smirked, which was cute on his new face.

"You ready to go, Casper, or are you going to stand here gawking all afternoon?" he asked me. I nodded my head wordlessly and followed him out of the Common Room.

We snuck out of Hogwarts and went to the village using a Disillusionment Charm. When we reached the pub, Snape lifted the charm. Once more, his changed form surprised me. He smiled and held the door open for me.

We didn't talk much as we ate. It was nice to be able to sit there, no one glaring at us angrily, and not having to worry about being poisoned.

_Why haven't we done this before? _I asked Snape in my mind.

"_Polyjuice Potion takes a long time to brew and I have to nick the ingredients from the storeroom without Slughorn noticing," _he replied, _"Also, I was waiting for a special occasion."_

A few minutes passed and Madam Rosmerta refilled our drinks with a smile on her face.

"_Would you like to stay in the village tonight? We could get a room at the Inn…" _Snape said in my head, letting flashes of his thoughts enter my mind as well, along with some strong emotions. I felt my mouth go dry and nodded my head.

_Could we go now? While we're still like this? _I inquired.

"_Sounds fun," _he replied, smirking.

Late that night at a most unfortunate moment, the Dark Mark burned black. We both let out startled cries and broke apart, shocked. I rubbed my forearm furiously. I looked up at Snape, who was back to his original self by now, as was I.

"What is it?" I asked, frowning, "Is he calling?"

"No. He is being called," Snape replied. As the pain began to ebb away, I kissed him. We resumed our lovemaking as if nothing had happened.

**Chapter 131**

Christmas morning I woke wrapped in Snape's arms. I smiled to myself and buried my face in his chest. This was definitely something I could get used to. My movements awakened my lover who bade me good morning with a long, slow kiss.

"We have to go back to Hogwarts," he said rather reluctantly, starting to sit up.

"Why?" I demanded, grabbing him and pinning him to the bad.

_Why do we have to go anywhere at all? _I asked, kissing him.

"Because it's Christmas. In addition, I wish to ask the Carrows about the Dark Mark burning. Perhaps they know something we do not," he said. I blew out a sigh and let him up off the bed.

As it turned out, the Dark Lord had almost caught Potter. Had him within his grasp only to have him escape yet again. The Dark Lord was furious and taking out his anger on any Death Eater who got close to him. Later that same night Snape and I were sitting in his office when Phineas came hurrying into his portrait.

"Headmaster! They are camping in the Forest of Dean! The Mudblood-"

"Do not use that word!" snapped Snape.

"-the Granger girl, then, mentioned the place as she opened her bag and I heard her!"

"Good. Very good!" exclaimed Dumbledore, "Now, Severus, the sword! Do not forget that it must be taken under conditions of need and valor- and he must not know that you give it! If Voldemort should read Harry's mind and see you acting for him-"

"I know," said Snape curtly. He approached the portrait of Dumbledore and pulled it open. He took the sword out.

"And you still aren't going to tell me why it's so important to give Potter the sword?" said Snape as he swung his traveling cloak over his robes.

"No, I don't think so," said Dumbledore, "He will know what to do with it. And Severus, be very careful, the may not take kindly to your appearance after George Weasley's mishap-"

"Don't worry, Dumbledore," he replied coolly, "I have a plan…"

Snape beckoned to me and together we left the room.

"So what is your plan?" I asked as I followed him out of the castle, "And what does 'it must be taken under conditions of need and valor' mean?"

"You'll see when we get there," he assured me.

Just outside of the Hogwart's gate, he stopped and I took his arm. Within seconds, we were in the middle of a dark, snow-covered wood. I shivered slightly and pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders. Without speaking, Snape pulled me closer to him so that we could walk together and share body heat.

"_We must be very quiet. If we get caught…the consequences could be deadly," _he said in my mind.

_How will we find Potter and his friends? _I inquired; _There is a lot of forest here. They could be anywhere._

"_We will find them" _he assured me.

Snape was right, though it did take a very long time. It was pitch black dark in the woods and we could barely see anything. Finally, we detected their minds. Hermione Granger was sleeping. Potter was keeping watch. I vaguely wondered where the Weasley boy was, but decided I didn't care. Snape waved his wand and silently conjured his doe Patronus. He gave the sword to it and whispered instructions even I could not hear. Then the doe walked towards Potter. For some reason, the sight of Snape's Patronus irked me slightly. I shook off the feeling and watched as the doe stared at Potter for a few moments, then turned and walked off.

"No," Potter said, his voice cracking, "Come back!"

The doe didn't stop. Potter hesitated only for a brief moment before following it.

"Idiot boy. Following a strange Patronus," I murmured quietly. Snape didn't say anything, merely looked after the Patronus with a strange expression on his face. He drew me closer and we walked after them, staying hidden.

The doe led Potter to a frozen pool then disappeared. Potter lit his wand tip and looked around. The sword was at the bottom of the frozen pool. He knew he was going to have to climb in and retrieve it.

_So that is what Dumbledore meant by 'it must be taken under conditions of need and valor',_ I thought, directing my thoughts to Snape.

"_Indeed. We can leave now. Potter will get the sword on his own," _Snape replied in my mind. I took his arm and we Disapparated.

When we got back to Snape's office, Dumbledore eagerly asked us if we'd found Harry Potter.

"Yes. He found the sword," Snape said lightly.

"Well done, Severus," Dumbledore said. Snape shrugged indifferently.

"I'm still freezing, Sev. I'm going to bed, okay?" I said, shivering slightly. He nodded briefly.

"See you in the morning, Casper," he replied.

The next day Snape and I were walking back from Hogsmeade where we'd gone to eat lunch. Kids were swarming throughout the Entrance Hall on their way to class. I saw Jen wave excitedly at me through the crowd and run towards me.

"Hey Casper, I've got big news! Are you coming to Dark Arts class today?" she asked me, her eyes bright in excitement.

"Sure, Jen, I just-" I began, but fell silent as a flash of light flew through the crowd and hit Jen square in the back. She fell to the floor. I saw the boy responsible just as he aimed his wand at Snape and shouted _Stupefy. _Without thinking, I leapt between Snape and the boy and caught the spell dead in the chest. I hit the ground and was out cold.

I opened my eyes in the same spot five minutes later when Snape used the counter spell, Rennervate, to awaken me. The boy had been apprehended and was currently in Filch's office, strung up on the chains awaiting Alecto and Amycus Carrow. Jen had been taking to the Hospital Wing. Snape seemed at a loss for words. I wasn't at a loss for words. I was pissed. I wanted the boy, who had harmed my best friend and almost hurt Snape, to suffer. Hell, I wanted to kill him.

The Carrows passed us on their way down to the dungeons to torture the boy. The Entrance Hall had been cleared of all students.

"Wait, Alecto, Amycus. I want to handle this one," I said, my voice low and dangerous. They bowed their heads respectively.

"Of course, my lady," said Alecto and the two shared a grin before heading back up the staircase. I looked at Snape, daring him to tell me not to. He was still speechless and merely shrugged indifferently.

**Chapter 132**

I went down to Filch's office, letting my anger guide me. In the back of my mind I was wondering why I had jumped in front of the spell. I told myself I had known it was a harmless spell before I did it, but a part of me knew that wasn't true. All I had really seen was someone aiming a wand at Snape and I had jumped in front of him to save his life…even if it meant surrendering my own.

The boy was struggling against his chain bonds when I entered the room. Filch let out a wheezy chuckle and headed for the door.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, Mr. Filch," I said, my eyes fixated on the boy hanging from the wall, hatred etched into every line of my face.

"I'll let you have your fun, Miss Casper," he replied, shutting the door behind him. I raised my wand and shouted _Crucio. _

An hour later, I made my way to the Hospital Wing to check on Jen. The sight of her still unconscious on the bed brought back my anger afresh and made me want to go back to torturing the boy responsible.

"We have yet to determine what spell was used against her. It wasn't a Stunning Spell or any others I have ever encountered," Madam Pomfrey said to me, "I don't suppose you…?"

"I didn't hear it," I said, shaking my head. Madam Pomfrey sighed and walked away, back into her office. I brushed a stray strand of blonde hair out of my best friend's face and sat down in a chair beside her bed. I never spent much time with her and I regretted it now. She was my best friend- my only friend unless you count Snape.

"If you pull through this, you and I will do something fun," I promised her quietly.

I stayed at her bedside for the rest of the day. I felt totally responsible. If she hadn't been my friend, she'd never be in the position. They had been aiming at me, I knew that, and she had been in the way. I wondered what it was she had wanted to tell me. Every time Madam Pomfrey came in with a new potion or spell to try on her, I would wait expectantly for her eyes to open, but they never did.

Madam Pomfrey chased me out of the Hospital Wing at 11:00 that night. I knew I should probably be tired, but I was still angry. Sheer willpower kept me from going down to the dungeons to punish the boy more. I climbed the staircase and went up to Snape's office.

He was sitting at his desk, but stood and walked over to me when I entered. He looked as if he contemplated hugging me, but thought better of it when he saw my angry/weary expression.

"No news on your friend?" he asked quietly. I shook my head no, looking around at the portraits of all the previous Headmasters. They were all sleeping or absent. A few moments passed and neither Snape nor I sat down.

"You stopped the spell from hitting me. …why?" he inquired softly.

"A reflex action," I replied with a shrug, "Don't make a big deal out of it."

I walked over to the desk, not looking at him. A few seconds passed and he walked over to me. He pulled me to him and kissed me passionately. I felt my weariness ebb away, but my anger was still there. I knew what I wanted and was even more annoyed with the fact that I couldn't have it. There was no privacy to be had.

"_If it weren't for that fact, I would have you here and now," _he said in my mind as he pushed me up against the desk, still kissing me.

_I almost don't care, _I thought agitatedly. Snape broke the kiss and chuckled.

"Let's go outside," he whispered in my ear. Curious, I followed him out the door.

We walked down to the lake together and as soon as we got there, he kissed me again.

"_We could go to the Inn in Hogsmeade," _he suggested.

_That'd take too long. I want you here. Now._

"_What if someone sees?"_

I broke the kiss and took his hand, pulling him into the shelter of the trees at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. As soon as we were safely sheltered in the darkness, he broke free of my grip and kissed me. He pressed me up against the nearest tree. Knowing very well he could hold me there, I wrapped my legs around his waist. I could feel the hard length of him pressing against me. I kissed him harder, urging him onwards.

The sex was quick, but fulfilling. I no longer felt angry…but my weariness had returned. Snape kissed my forehead before releasing me from where he held me captive against the tree. I was unsteady on my feet, but shook off my weariness, at least for a little while. We didn't talk as we walked slowly back towards the castle. We didn't have to talk. In the most heavily guarded part of my mind, I was thinking something and that something was slightly disconcerting. All my actions today pointed towards one simple, but frightening fact- I was in love with Severus Snape.

**Chapter 133**

It was almost a week before Madam Pomfrey found a way to wake Jen from her coma. I nearly fainted with relief when her eyelids fluttered open and she smiled up at me.

"Hey Casper," she said with a yawn, "I'm hungry."

I laughed weakly and shook my head.

"You've been in a coma for almost a week," I said to her.

"What happened?" she asked, green eyes wide.

"You were telling me you had some big news and you were hit with a spell by some student who was aiming at Severus and myself. I'm so sorry you got caught in the crossfire."

"No harm done," she assured me, "but as for the big news…well I'll have to tell you once they release me."

Madam Pomfrey could find no lasting damage so she allowed Jen to be released in time for lunch. I followed her into the Great Hall and sat beside her while she ate lunch, not eating anything myself.

"So what is this big news?" I asked, smiling as she took a huge bite of a ham sandwich. She looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"There's this radio show called _Potter Watch-_" she began.

"I've heard rumors about it," I interrupted, "Big supporters of Potter. They follow what's actually going on instead of what's being covered up by…the Minister of Magic."

The Minister of Magic who was being controlled by the Dark Lord.

"Yes, well I've gotten the password for finding it on the radio. Let's see…what day is it?"

"March 3rd," I informed her.

"The password for this week's is _Albus_. Use your wand- tap the radio and say the password while turning the dials."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked curiously.

"I figure it will help you somehow. You're my best friend. I want to help," she replied as if this were obvious. Affection and gratitude flooded through me and I hugged her quickly, something I had never done before.

"I'm really glad you're okay, Jen, but I've got to go see Severus," I said.

"Sure. See you later, Casper."

I headed up towards Snape's office, but met him on the staircase, heading down hurriedly. The Carrows in front of him.

"What's going on?" I asked, changing direction to walk with them.

"The giant is hosting a party that shows support for Harry Potter," said Amycus.

"We're going to put an end to it," added Alecto, "Feel free to join us, Lady Casper."

Curious more than anything I followed them out.

I watched as they blasted into Hagrid's house, wands raised, and started firing spells everywhere. Students scrambled out of the shack and ran in all directions. Hagrid himself came running, the spells having no affect on him because of his giant blood. He went straight into the forest. We all gave chase though the dark woods. Snape and I more so because we didn't want to look disloyal. A sixteen-foot giant stopped us, however, with Hagrid sitting on his shoulder. The giant tried its best to step on us and nearly killed Alecto before heading off towards the mountains. Amycus, Snape, and I carried Alecto back up to the castle and to the Hospital Wing. Snape left to send an owl to Professor Grubbly-Plank to get her to take over Care of Magical Creatures class again.

It was a few hours before I was finally able to see Snape and tell him what Jen told me. I repeated the information for him, talking a mile a minute. When I finished he stood up and walked over to an old radio in the corner. He did exactly as Jen had said to do and a voice came over the static.

"We apologize for our temporary absence from the airwaves, which was due to a number of house calls in our area by those charming Death Eaters," said the voice, "Luckily, we've now found ourselves another secure location and I'm pleased to tell you that two of our regular contributors have joined me here this evening. Evening, boys!"

"Hi," said one voice.

"Evening, River," said another, more familiar.

"_Lupin?_" Snape and I said simultaneously and with the same level of disgust.

"But before we hear from Royal and Romulus," went on the first voice, River, "let's take a moment to report those deaths that the _Wizarding Wireless Network News _and _Daily Prophet _don't think important enough to mention. It is with great regret that we inform our listeners of the murders of Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell. A goblin by the name of Gornuk was also killed. It is believed that Muggle-born Dean Thomas and a second goblin, both believed to have been traveling with Tonks, Cresswell, and Gornuk, may have escaped. If Dean is listening, or if anyone has knowledge of his whereabouts, his parents and sisters are desperate for news.

"Meanwhile, in Gaddley, a Muggle family of five has been found dead in their home. Muggle authorities are attributing the deaths to a gas leak, but members of the Order of the Phoenix inform me that it was the Killing Curse- more evidence, as if it were needed, of the fact that Muggle slaughter is becoming little more than a recreational sport under new regime.

"Finally, we regret to inform our listeners that the remains of Bathilda Bagshot have been discovered in Godric's Hollow. The evidence is that she died several months ago. The Order of the Phoenix informs us that her body showed unmistakable signs of injuries inflicted by Dark Magic."

I raised a curious eyebrow at Snape.

"She was an Inferius," he explained quickly.

"Listeners, I'd like to invite you now to join us in a minute's silence in memory of Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Bathilda Bagshot, Gornuk, and the unnamed, but no less regretted, Muggles murdered by the Death Eaters," River continued. Silence fell and neither Snape nor I looked at each other for a few minutes.

"Thank you," said River, "And now we turn to regular contributor, Royal, for an update on how the new Wizarding order is affecting the Muggle world."

"Thanks, River," said the voice I did not know. Snape frowned in thought, and then his expression cleared.

"Ah," he said quietly.

"Who is it?"

"Kingsley Shaklebolt. He worked for the Ministry of Magic. He's one of the Order of the Phoenix," he explained.

"Muggles remain ignorant of the source of their suffering as they continue to sustain heavy casualties," said Kingsley, "However, we continue to hear truly inspirational stories of wizards and witches risking their own safety to protect Muggle friends and neighbors, often without the Muggles' knowledge. I would like to appeal to all our listeners to emulate their example, perhaps by casting a protective charm over any Muggle dwellings in your street. Many lives could be saved is such simple measures are taken."

"And what would you say, Royal, to those listeners who reply that in these dangerous times it should be 'Wizards first'?" asked River.

"I'd say that it's one short step from 'Wizards first' to 'Purebloods first' and then to 'Death Eaters'," replied Kingsley, "We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving."

"Excellently put, Royal, and you've got my vote for Minister of Magic if we ever get out of this mess," said River, "And now, over to Romulus for our popular feature 'Pals of Potter'."

"Thanks, River," said Lupin.

"Romulus, do you maintain, as you have every time you've appeared on our program, that Harry Potter is still alive?"

"I do," said Lupin firmly, "There is no doubt at all in my mind that his death would be proclaimed as widely as possible by the Death Eaters if it had happened, because it would strike a deadly blow at the morale of those resisting the new regime. 'The Boy Who Live' remains a symbol of everything for which we are fighting: the triumph of good, the power of innocence, the need to keep resisting."

"And what would you say to Harry is you knew he was listening, Romulus?"

"I'd tell him we're all with him in spirit," said Lupin, "And I'd tell him to follow his instincts, which are good and nearly always right."

"What if Potter really is listening?" I mused. Snape held up a hand to silence me.

"…and our usual update on those friends of Harry Potter's who are suffering for their allegiance?" River was saying.

"Well, as regular listeners will know, several of the more outspoken supporters of Harry Potter have now been imprisoned, including Xenophilius Lovegood, erstwhile editor of _The Quibbler_," said Lupin, "We have heard within the last few hours that Rubeus Hagrid, well-known gameskeeper at Hogwarts School has narrowly escaped arrest within the grounds of Hogwarts, where he is rumored to have hosted a 'Support Harry Potter' party in his house. However, Hagrid was not taken into custody, and is, we believe, on the run."

"I suppose it helps, when escaping from Death Eaters, if you've got a sixteen-foot-high half brother?" asked River.

"It would tend to give you an edge," agreed Lupin, "May I just add that while we here at _Potterwatch _applaud Hagrid's spirit, we would urge even the most devoted of Harry's supporters against following Hagrid's lead. 'Support Harry Potter' parties are unwise in the present climate."

"Idiot," I grumbled, referring to Hagrid, "and how do they even know so soon?"

"They have informants here. McGonagall most likely," Snape replied.

"And now let's move to news concerning the wizard who is proving just as elusive as Harry Potter. We like to refer to him as the Chief Death Eater, and here to give his views on some of the more insane rumors circulating about him, I'd like to introduce a new correspondent: Rodent."

" '_Rodent'_?" said another slightly familiar voice, "I'm not being 'Rodent', no way. I told you I wanted to be 'Rapier'!"

"It's one of the Weasley twins," I provided and Snape nodded.

"Oh, all right then. 'Rapier', could you please give us your take on the various stories we've been hearing about the Chief Death Eater?"

"Yes, River, I can. As our listeners will know, unless they've taken refuge at the bottom of a garden pond or somewhere similar, You-Know-Who's strategy of remaining in the shadows is creating a nice little climate of panic. Mind you, if all the alleged sighting of him are genuine, we must have a good nineteen You-Know-Whos running around the place."

"Which suits him, of course," added Kingsley, "The air of mystery is creating more terror than actually showing himself."

"Agreed," said the Weasley boy, "So, people, let's try and calm down a bit. Things are bad enough without inventing stuff as well. For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That's a _basilisk_, listeners. One simple test: Check whether the thing that's glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it's safe to look into its eyes, although it is really is You-Know-Who, that's still likely to be the last thing you ever do."

I laughed openly and even Snape's mouth twitched a little bit.

"And the rumors that he keeps being sighted abroad?" asked River.

"Well, who wouldn't want a nice little holiday after all the hard work he's been putting in?" asked Weasley, "Point is, people, don't get lulled into a false sense of security, thinking he's out of the country. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but the fact remains he can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to."

I had to press my hand over my mouth to stifle my giggles. Even Dumbledore had a twinkle in his eye. Snape cut his eyes at me and I laughed even harder. By the time I finished laughing the program was over, leaving us with a password for the next episode.

**Chapter 134**

It was a few weeks later when I remembered my promise to Jen when she was in a coma- that we would do something fun together. So I began to make plans for us to take trip to Diagon Alley. Snape was totally against the idea of me going anywhere alone.

"You never know who could be lurking in Diagon Alley," Snape said, the night before I was due to leave, "Any of the Order or various assassins."

"Severus, I'll be fine," I insisted, "I _can _take care of myself."

"I don't think you should go alone."

"I won't be alone, Sev. Jen's going with me."

I was grateful for his sudden concern for me, but it was unnecessary and slightly annoying. Snape's black eyes met my silver ones.

"If anything should happen to you…" he said softly, "…your father would kill me."

I knew this was not really, how he had intended to end the sentence. I could guess what it was he truly wanted to say. If it had been just the two of us, I would have kissed him. As it was, we were in his office and Dumbledore was awake and present in his portrait frame. Stupid old man. He'd been interfering in my life since before I knew I was a witch. Still, he _had _brought Snape and I together, so…

"Severus, nothing is going to happen to me," I assured him softly. He tore his gaze away from mine.

"Will you walk me to the dormitory?" I asked him. He nodded his head and stood up from his seat.

We stopped just outside the form in the empty corridor. Our eyes met again and I took the opportunity I had been denied earlier. I stood on tiptoes and kissed him passionately.

"You don't need to worry about me, Sev," I whispered in his ear. Then I smiled at him and disappeared into the Common Room.

Jen was sitting by the fire, working on her homework for History of Magic. I hadn't actually asked her to come with me yet- I had wanted to wait and surprise her.

"Hey Jen?" I asked, sitting down beside her, "Wanna skip school with me tomorrow and go to Diagon Alley?"

"Yeah, that sounds amazingly awesome!" she exclaimed, abandoning her homework.

"Good. We can go hang out at the different shops. It's been a while since I've gotten to go shopping," I said, smiling.

"How does Headmaster Snape feel about this arrangement?" she asked slyly.

"Well…he doesn't care for it much."

"He's worried about you, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

She looked thoughtful, but didn't say anything more on the subject. She resumed working on her homework and soon I went to bed.

The next morning before anyone else was even awake; Jen and I left the castle. I explained Side-Along Apparition to her on the way to the Gate. As soon as we were outside of the Gate, she grabbed my arm and I transported us to Diagon Alley.

Our first stop was breakfast at a quaint little diner where the waiter smiled at us a lot. To my surprise, the only thing Jen wanted to talk about was boys. She practically grilled me for details on mine and Snape's relationship. After about 20 minutes of trying to avoid the subject, I ended up telling her everything- our mind connection, our complex relationship…even my sinking suspicion that I loved him. I asked her opinion on many things.

"If you _really _want to know how he feels about you, why not explore his mind on the subject?" she asked me.

"I would never search for something in his mind without his permission," I replied, shaking my head, "It would be a betrayal of his trust."

"Oh come on, Casper, I'm sure he's looked through your mind before."

"I don't think he would. Maybe when I was younger, but…not since he started to trust me."

We didn't return to Hogwarts until it was dark outside. As soon as we entered the Gate, Snape stepped out of the shadows. Jen smiled at me then disappeared into the darkness, walking towards the castle.

"Did you have fun?" he asked, taking my hand so we could walk around the lake together.

"Yes. It was nice to have someone to talk girl talk with."

"'Girl talk'?" he repeated, smirking faintly.

"Yeah, you know- clothes, music, boys, etc."

"_You _talked 'girl talk'?"

"Uh-huh."

"Heh. You talked about clothes and music…and boys?"

"Well, mostly we talked about you," I said, blushing. He smiled wryly and stared out over the water, squeezing my hand slightly.

"I thought your friend didn't like me?" he inquired.

"You scare her, that's all. You're not very nice to her…or anybody for that matter."

"I'm nice to _you_," he said pointedly. I smiled.

"That's true…but I would like it if you were nice to her sometimes."

He looked momentarily thoughtful and kissed my hand absently.

"It's getting late, Casper. Are you ready to go inside?"

I nodded my head.

A few days later Snape and I were sitting out by the lake doing something we rarely did- discussing the Dark Lord and Harry Potter.

"What do you think Potter is doing? Hiding?" I asked him. He was sitting with his back against a large oak tree and I was lying halfway in his lap, staring out over the lake.

"I think he is planning how to defeat the Dark Lord," he replied, absently stroking my hair.

"Do you think he could win?" I inquired curiously.

"I don't know. Anything is possible I suppose. There will definitely be a huge battle before it is all over."

"And if there is, whose side will you fight on?"

"I will hold my position as a spy for as long as possible," he said, then added hesitantly, "I fear this battle will be my last."

I jerked myself off his lap and sat up to stare at him.

"Severus, why would you even say something like that?" I demanded.

"I'm just being logical, Casper. Potter doesn't know I was helping him all along and even if I tried to explain it, why would he believe me? And if the Dark Lord finds out, he'll defiantly kill me."

He was being completely serious and I was at a loss for words.

"Casper, listen to me- if there is a battle, I don't want you to fight. I want you to run," he continued in a low voice, "If anything should happen to me…"

"And where should I run to, Severus?" I asked bitterly.

"My house in Spinner's End. They wouldn't think to look for you there."

"Who wouldn't think to look for me?"

"Whoever wins."

"Well maybe I don't want to run!" I snarled, eyes flashing defiantly, "Maybe I want to stay and fight!"

He looked momentarily startled by my yelling at him- it was something I very rarely did. Then his eyes hardened.

"If you don't run, you are signing your own death sentence, Casper Addams!" he retorted.

"Well what do you care? You'll be dead as well, won't you? Why the sudden concern?" I shot back at him.

"I _do _care, because I lo-"

He stopped abruptly, startled, and I froze, my heart pounding. Our eyes met and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well? Say it," I challenged, thinking he wouldn't.

"Fine. I care because I love you," he said coolly. I blew out a sigh and sat back on my heels, my anger towards him replaced with awe and confusion. I never thought he would be the first one to say it.

"I love you, too," I said softly.

"Good. Now that's out of the way," he said sardonically, "We can get back to the issue at hand. If there's a battle, what are you going to do?"

"Stay out of it," I muttered, defeated. He smiled a half-smile and stood up, offering his hand to help me up. I took it.

**Chapter 135**

A few nights later, I was lying in bed when a presence on the grounds penetrated my mind. It wasn't searching, it was just there, strong and unbidden. My father was here at Hogwarts. I blocked off my mind, keeping things hidden that needed to be hidden. As quietly as possible, I got dressed and hurried out of the dorm. Before I could even reach the Entrance Hall, however, I met Snape coming inside.

"He will join us shortly," Snape informed me.

"What is he doing here?" I inquired.

"I'm not sure. Come," he said, beckoning me to follow him upstairs.

Snape and I were in his office when the Dark Lord came in silently. His eyes fell first on the portrait of Dumbledore, disconcerted at first to find it there as I had been. Then he laughed a low, dangerous laugh. His eyes turned to me.

"Casper. How are you, my daughter?" the Dark Lord asked me.

"Marvelous, father. I love it here," I replied, "Dolling out punishments and whatnot...keeps me very entertained."

"Good. I wish to speak with Severus alone, if you do not mind. Feel free to go to bed."

I inclined my head and left the room, annoyed that I was being excluded from the conversation. I went back to the Slytherin dormitories and went back to sleep.

I was awakened a few hours later, shortly before the sun was to rise. It was Snape and he was shaking me awake.

"What?" I grumbled, sitting up in bed and rubbing my eyes.

"Just thought I'd let you know he's gone now. Back to Malfoy Manor."

"This couldn't have waited until morning?" I muttered, pressing my face into the pillow.

"Technically speaking, it is morning," he replied wryly. I replied with a noncommittal grunt. He chuckled softly and pressed a kiss onto the top of my head. When I lifted my head, he was gone.

A few days passed before anything of interest happened. Potter and his friends stole something from a vault at Gringotts. Something that belonged to the Dark Lord. It was he who informed Snape and I, also warning us that here would possibly be Potter's next stop and we should be on guard. Somehow, many of the students found out about the miraculous escape. A boy named Terry Boot came running into the Great Hall during dinner one evening yelling about it. The Carrows beat him down before he even finished yelling.

One night I had just fallen asleep when an urgent Snape rudely awakened me. I glared at him in the darkness.

"This is becoming an irritating reoccurrence, Severus," I said to him.

"I'm sorry, Casper, but there is something I need you to do," he said urgently.

"What is it?" I asked, sitting up.

"The Dark Lord suspects Potter will try and sneak into Ravenclaw Tower. Alecto Carrow will be waiting for him there if he does arrive," Snape said meaningfully.

"So, what do you need me for-? …oh, I get it," I said.

_You want me to protect Potter? _I asked, directing my thoughts at him.

"_Yes. Use your Disillusionment Charm and follow Alecto into the Ravenclaw Tower. Stay hidden and if push comes to shove…"_

_Help Potter escape_, I finished the thought for him, _got it._

"I'll do my best," I promised him. He kissed me swiftly and left me to get dressed.

I found Alecto Carrow just outside of the Ravenclaw Tower with a terrified Professor Flitwick, who let him in before scampering off. I followed Alecto into the Ravenclaw Common Room and looked around. The Common Room was empty. It was a wide, circular room that was extremely airy. Graceful arched windows interspersed the walls, which were hung with blue-and-bronze silks. The ceiling was domed and had stars painted on it, which were resonated in the dark blue carpet. There were tables, bookcases, chairs, and a large statue of a girl.

It was extremely boring waiting without speaking to anyone. Alecto was hiding in the shadows; waiting for something it seemed would never come. All of a sudden, the door opened. I looked up, expecting to see Potter…but there was no one. It dawned on me that he was probably invisible as well. I looked around the room, wondering where he was, when all of a sudden he appeared beside the statue.

"'_Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.,'"_ he read aloud off the statue.

"Which makes you pretty skint, witless," said Alecto, stepping out of the shadows. Potter whirled around. I raised my wand, prepared to help him, but was stopped as Alecto pressed her finger to the Dark Mark branded on her forearm. It was all I could do not to shriek in pain. I felt Snape's mind enter mine.

_Damnit! _I thought furiously and waved my wand at Alecto, _Stupefy!_

Out of fortune, I cast my spell at the exact same moment as a blonde girl who accompanied Potter.

"I've never Stunned anyone except in our D.A. lessons," said the girl, mildly interested, "That was noisier than I thought it would be."

The ceiling began to tremble. Footsteps echoed from behind a door leading to the dormitories beside the statue. Potter and the girl disappeared before the Ravenclaws all came barreling out of the door. They circled Alecto fearfully. An extremely brave first-year prodded her with his toe.

"I think she might be dead!" he shouted with delight. There was a rap on the Common Room door, which caused everyone to freeze.

"Where do Vanished objects go?" asked the musical voice of the eagle-shaped doorknocker, which was used to let Ravenclaws into the Tower.

"I dunno, do I? Shut it!" snarled the voice of Amycus, "Alecto? _Alecto? _Are you there? Do you have him? Open the door! _ALECTO! _If he comes, and we haven't got Potter- d'you want to go the same way as the Malfoys? ANSWER ME!"

**Chapter 136**

The Ravenclaws were all scampering back into their dormitories when a second voice joined Amycus.

"May I ask what you are doing, Professor Carrow?" asked the voice of Minerva McGonagall.

"Trying-to get- through this damned- door!" shouted Amycus, "Go and get Flitwick! Get him to open it, now!"

"But isn't your sister in there?" asked Professor McGonagall, "Didn't Professor Flitwick let her in earlier this evening, at your urgent request? Perhaps she could open the door for you? Then you needn't wake up half the castle."

"She ain't answering, you old besom! _You _open it! Garn! Do it now!"

"Certainly, if you wish it," said McGonagall, her voice cold. There was a polite knock on the knocker and the musical voice repeated its question.

"Where do Vanished objects go?"

"Into nonbeing, which is to say, everything," replied McGonagall.

"Nicely phrased," replied the eagle and the door swung open. Amycus burst over the threshold, brandishing his wand. His eyes fell at once on Alecto and he let out a yell of fury and fear.

"What've they done, the little whelps? He shouted, "I'll Cruciate the lot of 'em till they tell me who did it- and what's the Dark Lord going to say? We haven't got him, and they've gorn and killed her!"

"She's only Stunned," said an impatient McGonagall, "She'll be perfectly all right."

"No she bludgering well won't!" bellowed Amycus, "Not after the Dark Lord gets hold of her! She's gorn and sent for him, I felt me Mark burn, and he thinks we've got Potter!"

"'Got Potter'?" repeated McGonagall sharply, "What do you mean 'got Potter'?"

"He told us Potter might try and get inside Ravenclaw Tower, and to send for him if we caught him!"

"Why would Harry Potter try to get inside Ravenclaw Tower? Potter belongs in my House!" said McGonagall, a faint note of pride in her voice.

"We was told he might come in here!" said Amycus, "I dunno why, do I?"

McGonagall stood up and looked around the room.

"We can push it off on the kids," said Amycus craftily, "Yeah, that's what we'll do. We'll say Alecto was ambushed by the kids, them kids up there, and we'll say they forced her to press her Mark, and that's why he got a false alarm…He can punish them. Couple of kids more or less, what's the difference?"

"Only the difference between truth and lies, courage and cowardice," said a very pale McGonagall, "a difference, in short, which you and your sister seem unable to appreciate. But let me make one thing very clear. You are not going to pass of your many ineptitudes on the students of Hogwarts. I shall not permit it."

"Excuse me?" Amycus said, moving closer to her, "It's not a case of what _you'll _permit, Minerva McGonagall. Your time's over. It's us what's in charge here now, and you'll back me up or you'll pay the price."

Then he spat in her face. Potter appeared, his wand raised.

"You shouldn't have done that," said Potter, "_Crucio!_"

Amycus was lifted off his feet. He writhed through the air, howling in pain, and then smashed into a bookcase and crumpled to the floor.

"I see what Bellatrix meant," said Potter, "you need to really mean it."

"Potter!" whispered McGonagall, clutching her heart, "Potter- you're here! What-?

How-? Potter, that was foolish!"

"He spat at you," said Potter simply.

"Potter, I- that was very- very _gallant _of you- but don't you realize-?"

"Yeah, I do," Potter assured her, "Professor McGonagall, Voldemort's on the way."

"Oh, are we allowed to say the name now?" asked the girl, becoming visible once more. McGonagall, shocked, staggered backwards into a chair.

"I don't think it makes any difference what we call him," Potter told the girl, "He already knows where I am."

"You must flee," whispered McGonagall, "Now, Potter, as quickly as you can!"

"I can't," said Potter, "There's something I need to do. Professor, do you know where the diadem of Ravenclaw is?"

"The d-diadem of Ravenclaw? Of course not- hasn't it been lost for centuries?" she said, sitting up a little straighter.

_What is the diadem of Ravenclaw? _I wondered.

"_It belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, founder of Ravenclaw house. It has been lost for centuries. Its said to give the wearer untold knowledge," _provided Snape from in my head. He sounded distracted.

_What does Potter want with it?_

"_I have no clue."_

"Time's running out, Voldemort's getting nearer. Professor, I'm acting on Dumbledore's orders, I must find what he wanted me to find! But we've got to get the students out while I'm searching the castle- it's me Voldemort wants, but he won't care about killing a few more or less, not now-" Potter left the sentence unfinished.

"You're acting on _Dumbledore's _orders?" McGonagall repeated in awe, then drew herself up to her fullest height, "We shall secure the school against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named while you search for this- this object."

"Is that possible?" Potter asked.

"I think so," said McGonagall dryly, "we teachers are rather good at magic, you know. I am sure we will be able to hold him off for a while if we put our best efforts into it."

I pressed my hand over my mouth to stifle a chuckle, but stopped when she mentioned Snape.

"Of course, something will have to be done about Professor Snape-" she began.

"Let me-" started Potter.

"-and if Hogwarts is about to enter a state of siege, with the Dark Lord at the gates, it would indeed be advisable to take as many innocent people out of the way as possible. With the Floo Network under observation, and Apparation impossible within the grounds-"

"There's a way," interrupted Potter, "In the Room of Requirement there is a secret passageway that leads out to into the Hog's Head. They can Disapparate once they get there."

"Potter, we're talking about hundreds of students-"

"I know, Professor, but if Voldemort and the Death Eaters are concentrating on the school boundaries they won't be interested in anyone who's Disapparating out of the Hog's Head."

"There's something in that," she agreed. She aimed her wand at the unconscious Carrows and put them in a magical cage, which hoisted them in the air.

"Come. We must alert the other Heads of House. You'd better put that Cloak back on," she said to Potter. She marched towards the door and cast three Patronuses shaped like cats, to alert the Heads of Houses. Potter and the girl disappeared under the cloak and followed her out. Unable to think of anything else to do, I followed them also.

We had gone down two floors when McGonagall raised her wand and turned around.

"Who's there?" she demanded. Alarmed, thinking they'd found me, I said nothing.

"It is I," said a low, familiar voice. Snape stepped out from behind a suit of armor. He had his wand raised also.

"Where are the Carrows?" he asked quietly.

"Wherever you told them to be, I expect, Severus," McGonagall replied coolly.

_They're knocked out, trapped in the Ravenclaw Tower. Potter is here with McGonagall, hidden beneath his Invisibility Cloak, with a blonde girl, _I informed Snape. He stepped closer to McGonagall and his eyes flitted over her, into the air around her, looking for any trace of Potter.

"I was under the impression," said Snape, "that Alecto had apprehended an intruder."

"Really?" asked McGonagall, "And what gave you that impression?"

Snape made an unintentional flexing movement of his left arm where the Dark Mark was branded in his skin.

"Oh, but naturally you Death Eaters have your own private means of communication," said McGonagall coolly, "I forgot."

Snape ignored this. His eyes were still searching for Potter and he was moving gradually closer, with an air of hardly noticing what he was doing.

"I did not know it was your night to patrol the corridors, Minerva," Snape said suddenly.

"You have some objection?" she asked.

"I wonder what could have brought you out of your bed at this late hour?"

"I thought I heard a disturbance," she replied.

"Really? But all seems calm. …Have you seen Harry Potter, Minerva? Because if you have, I must insist-"

McGonagall's wand moved so fast I barely saw it. I quickly cast a Shield Charm before Snape, throwing McGonagall of balance for a moment with its strength and swiftness. McGonagall brandished her wand at a torch on the wall and it flew out of its bracket. It became a ring of fire that filled the corridor and flew like a lasso at Snape- Then it was no longer fire, but a huge black snake that McGonagall blasted to smoke, which reformed in seconds to a swarm of daggers which Snape avoided only by pushing a suit of armor before himself.

"Minerva!" exclaimed a squeaky voice. Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn were sprinting up the corridor behind Minerva.

"No!" squeaked Flitwick, raising his wand at Snape, "You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!"

Flitwick's spell hit the suit of armor behind which Snape had taken shelter and caused it to come to life. Snape struggled free of its crushing arms and sent it flying back towards his attackers.

"_We can't win this, Casper. Run!" _Snape commanded in my head. He took off running and I followed. McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn gave chase. Snape and I hurtled through a classroom door. He looked around wildly and seemed to come to a decision. With a muffled squeak of indignity from me, he grabbed me and jumped through the window.

I expected to find myself hurtling towards the ground. Instead we were flying, without the use of a broomstick.

"Coward! _COWARD!_" cried McGonagall.

"Sev, how are we-?" I began.

"I've learned a thing or two from your father," he said, smiling at me wryly. He had one arm around my middle and the other was holding his wand.

"Ulk. This is extremely uncomfortable," I grunted, trying to make it less so.

"Stop squirming, Casper. If I drop you, you'll be splattered all over Hogwarts grounds," he said shortly. I ceased moving immediately.

**Chapter 137**

We descended just inside the Forbidden Forest. I lifted my Disillusionment Charm as soon as my feet touched the ground. I was cut from bursting through the glass, as was Snape. Snape made a fire using his wand and began to tend to my wounds.

"I'm sorry, Casper. It was the only way I could think of to get us out of there quickly," he said quietly as he healed my cuts.

"No big deal," I said with a shrug. When he finished healing me, I forced him to sit and let me heal his cuts as well.

"They'll be preparing to fight. The Dark Lord will arrive soon," he said quietly when I was finished.

"If I'd only been quicker Stunning Alecto," I murmured.

"It wouldn't have made a difference," he said quickly, "He would still have found out. You mustn't blame yourself."

We sat in silence for a long time, trying to decide the best next course of action. All of a sudden, a loud voice trailed to us from the castle.

"I know that you are preparing to fight," said the magically amplified voice of the Dark Lord, "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."

The silence that followed was deafening. Snape got to his feet, extinguished the fire, and motioned for me to follow him. We were walking through the woods, towards Hogsmeade.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I must join the Dark Lord. It is what would be expected of me," he said quietly. I nodded in agreement and continued to follow him.

We met Lucius Malfoy a short ways away from the Shrieking Shack, on old crumbling building that was said to be haunted. He looked terrible.

"Severus…the Dark Lord requires a service from you," he said weakly, "He is in the Shrieking Shack."

"Very well, thank you, Lucius."

"Have you seen Draco? Is he alright?" Lucius asked desperately.

"I haven't seen him," Snape replied slowly. Lucius, grief-stricken, wandered off towards the castle. As soon as he had disappeared from sight, Snape looked at me, pleading in his black eyes.

"You must leave now," he insisted, "You promised you would."

I hesitated, and then shook my head.

"I can't. I won't. I'll stay with you until the end," I said defiantly. Before he could protest, I re-cast my Disillusionment Charm and barred my mind so strongly that he couldn't tell where I was. He let out a sigh and walked towards the shrieking shack.

The Dark Lord was sitting in the middle of a dark room, twirling his wand thoughtfully. It wasn't the wand he usually carried, but it did seem familiar somehow. Nagini, the large snake, was in an enchanted sphere of protective magic. Snape stood, waiting for the Dark Lord to say something.

"…my lord, their resistance is crumbling-" Snape began.

"-and it is doing so without your help," said the Dark Lord, "Skilled wizard though you are, Severus, I do not think you will make much difference now. We are almost there…almost."

"Let me find the boy. Let me bring you Potter. I know I can find him, my Lord. Please."

The Dark Lord stood up, facing Snape, his red eyes glowing.

"I have a problem, Severus," he said softly.

"My Lord?"

My father held up his wand delicately.

"Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?" he asked with a snake-like sigh.

"My- my lord?" said Snape blankly, "I do not understand. You- you have performed extraordinary magic with that wand."

"No," said the Dark Lord, "I have performed my usual magic. I am extraordinary, but this wand…no. It has not revealed the wonders it has promised. I feel no difference between this wand and the one I procured from Ollivander all those years ago. No difference."

Snape could think of nothing to say. The Dark Lord started to move around the room.

"I have thought long and hard, Severus…Do you know why I have called you back from the battle?"

"No, my Lord, but I beg you will let me return. Let me find Potter."

"You sound like Lucius. Neither of you understands Potter as I do. He does not need finding. Potter will come to me. I know his weakness, you see, his one great flaw. He will hate watching the others struck down around him, knowing that it is for him that it happens. He will want to stop it at any cost. He will come."

"But my Lord, he might be killed accidentally by one other that yourself-"

"My instructions to my Death Eaters have been perfectly clear. Capture Potter. Kill his friends- the more, the better- but do not kill him.

"But it is of you that I wished to speak, Severus, not Harry Potter. You have been very valuable to me. Very valuable."

"My Lord knows I seek only to serve him. But- let me go and find the boy, my Lord. Let me bring him to you. I know I can-"

"I have told you, no!" said the Dark Lord impatiently, "My concern at the moment, Severus, is what will happen when I finally meet the boy!"

"My Lord, there can be no question, surely-?

"-but there _is _a question, Severus. There is. Why did both the wands I have used fail when directed at Harry Potter?"

"I- I cannot answer that, my Lord."

"Can't you? My wand of yew did everything of which I asked it, Severus, except kill Harry Potter. Twice it failed. Ollivander told me under torture of the twin cores, told me to take another's wand. I did so, but Lucius's wand shattered upon meeting Potter's."

"I0 I have no explanation, my Lord."

"I sought a third wand, Severus. The Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick. I took it from its previous master. I took it from the grave of Albus Dumbledore."

Snape's face was deathly pale, like a mask, and so still, it looked as if he were dead.

"My Lord- let me go to the boy-"

"All this long night, when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here wondering, wondering, why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for its rightful owner…and I think I have the answer."

"Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen."

"My Lord-"

"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine."

"My Lord!" Snape protested, raising his wand.

"It cannot be any other way," said the Dark Lord, "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand and I master Potter at last."

The Dark Lord swiped his wand at Snape. My scream died on my lips when I saw nothing happen. Snape looked up in prospect of a reprieve. Then, suddenly, the sphere holding Nagini rolled towards Snape and before he could so much as scream, engulfed him.

"_Kill,_" said the Dark Lord in Parseltongue. Snape and I both screamed when the snake's fangs pierced his neck. I saw his face lose what color it had left. His eyes widened as the snake's fangs pierced his skin, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor.

"I regret it," said the Dark Lord coolly. He lifted the cage back into the air and bade it follow him as he left the room without so much as a backwards glance. Coldness was crushing down on me as I stared down at Snape, slowly bleeding, his black eyes wide, staring at me. All of a sudden, a crate moved and Potter crawled out of a hole. Potter bent over him, shocked, and Snape seized the front of his robes, pulling him close.

"Take…it…take…it…" he said in a terrible, rasping, gurgling voice. Silvery blue things were gushing from Snape's mouth. Memories…

Hermione Granger, who was standing behind him, conjured a flask from thin air and handed it to him. Potter used his wand to put the memories in the flask. When it was full to the brim Snape's grip on Potter slackened.

"Look…at…me…" he whispered. His eyes found Potter's. Then the hand holding Potter fell to the floor and Snape moved no more.

**Chapter 138**

Potter stood there for a long time, staring at Snape. Tears were streaming down my invisible face. I was too stunned to do anything when all of a sudden; my father's voice rang clear over Hogwart's grounds once more.

"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley both looked at Potter and shook their heads frantically.

"Don't listen to him," said Ron.

"It'll be alright," said Hermione wildly, "Let's- let's get back to the castle, if he's gone to the forest we'll need to think of a new plan-"

All three of them glanced once more at Snape's body, then left. My shock wore off and I lifted my Disillusionment Charm. I fell to my knees beside Snape's body, crying. I clutched at him and wept for a very long time. I closed his unseeing eyes and pressed my face into his unmoving chest, weeping. All of a sudden, something grabbed me, and all went dark.

When the darkness cleared, I found myself staring up at a dark purple sky dotted with stars and lit by the full moon. However, there was more light besides that of the moon. Whatever I was standing on was glowing. It was some sort of glowing stone.

"Casper," said a sudden familiar voice. My heart clenched in unbearable hope and confusion. I looked around and saw Snape, sitting on the edge of the glowing stone. He stood up and walked over to me, smiling, as I had never seen him smile before.

"Severus," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion, "What's going on? Aren't you dead?"

"Well, yes, but…Well I snatched you up, sort of. I couldn't leave you just yet, there are things I haven't explained, things I haven't told you. So I dragged you into death with me," he said, trying to explain it. I looked at him, alarmed.

"Don't worry, it's temporary," he assured me quickly, "I didn't kill you. But I only have a few minutes."

"Where _are _we?" I asked, frowning, "What is this?"

I tapped on the stone with my foot to let him know what I was referring to.

"It's a Crystal Ship," he informed me, "but it's not important right now. Come here."

Hesitantly, I walked over to where he was standing at the edge of the ship, which I guess was like the prow of the ship. Down below us I could see Hogwarts castle. Snape raised his wand and waved it. The scene before us disappeared and we were looking down on Dumbledore's office, a number of years before. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk and Snape was pacing back and forth in front of his desk. The scene was so close I could have reached out and touched them.

"Eight years ago," provided the Snape standing beside me.

"_Her name is Casper Arbok Addams," said Dumbledore, looking up at Snape, "And I want you to watch over her while she is at Hogwarts. I want you to take her to get her school things, teach her about being a witch. She's been living with a Squib, posing as a Muggle, and his wife for her whole life. She knows nothing of the magical world."_

"_I don't understand, Dumbledore. Why is this so important?" Snape asked, frowning._

"_Because…she is the daughter of Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore said quietly. Snape looked clearly shocked._

"_The daughter of…but…I did not know he had a daughter," Snape said in awe._

"_I doubt Lord Voldemort himself knows. That is why you are watching over her."_

"_Because she could turn out to be as evil as he was?"_

"_I did not say that. The consequences of Voldemort finding out he has a daughter would most likely be death for her. You must make sure he never finds out. Be kind to her, Severus, don't be suspicious of her. She is just a young girl. She will undoubtedly have very strong magical ability. You must make sure she does not use this ability for bad things. Understand?"_

"_Yes. I will care for her to the best of my ability, but…she will be nothing more than another student, Dumbledore. Just another order from you."_

"_Of course," Dumbledore said. From his smile, I could tell he predicted otherwise._

The scene changed again and we were now looking down at Snape, in his office. I raised an eyebrow at the Snape beside me.

"Christmas, your first year," he informed me.

_Snape had an open box on his desk and a book in his hand entitled _Curses and Counter-curses _by Vindictus Viridian. He packed it into the box, smiling faintly as he did so. He attached a nametag that said "To Casper Addams" on the bow, then looked down at a house elf standing beside his feet._

"_This is for Casper Addams. She must not know whom it is from. No one must know," said Snape. The house-elf nodded and hurried out of the room. _

The scene changed slightly. It was still Snape in his office, but he was writing something, frowning. An unhappy dwarf wearing golden wings stood beside him.

"Valentine's Day, your second year," said Snape with a smirk.

"Sev, you didn't-" I protested.

"_She won't get one from anyone else, I've asked around. But I cannot come up with any good rhymes," he grumbled, crossing something out furiously on the parchment._

"_Oi. Perhaps I can help," said the dwarf. The dwarf took the pen and, after reading what Snape had written, added some things, crossed some things out, then stood back. Snape read it aloud._

"'_Roses are red, violets are blue,_

_Nothing compares with how I feel for you._

_Lilies are white Daffodils are yellow_

_When I see you my heart feels mellow_

_How I wish you were mine_

_Your Secret Valentine.'_

"_That will do, I suppose," said Snape finally and smirked as he handed the paper back to the dwarf._

"Severus!" I exclaimed, "I never even suspected…"

"It was just for a laugh. I never thought we would…" his voice trailed off with a smile, "Ah, next scene. Your second year, shortly after the attack on Miss Hermione Granger."

_It was Dumbledore's office again and Dumbledore looked very grave. Snape looked defiant._

"_You've talked to her, Severus? You know for certain?" Dumbledore said to him._

"_There is no way its Casper opening the Chamber of Secrets," Snape retorted._

"_But… The Heir of Slytherin…I would have thought…"_

"_There is no way it's her. I'd stake my life on it," Snape swore, "She's a good kid."_

The scene shifted slightly. It was daytime and Snape was sitting in Dumbledore's office, a piece of parchment in his hand.

"Right before the beginning of your fourth year," Snape informed me.

"_I got a letter from Casper Addams today, Headmaster. Her grandmother is accompanying her to Diagon Alley this year," Snape was saying to Dumbledore, who looked mildly curious. Dumbledore extended his hand and beckoned for the paper. He read it quickly._

_Professor Snape,_

_My Grandmother's going to take me to Diagon Alley to get my school things, so you needn't bother. She's a witch. She says she works at the Ministry of Magic. Her name is Connie Addams and I'm not entirely sure that I like her. _

_See you on September First,_

_Casper Addams_

"_Ah. Connie Addams. Not the greatest woman in the world. She is rather…eccentric," said Dumbledore._

"_Casper probably hates her already."_

"_Why do you say that?"_

"_The difference in their personalities is a great one."_

"_Indeed. Is that the reason for your concern?"_

"_No. Connie Addams knows I was a Death Eater. She was present at my trial. If she chooses to share this information with Casper…well, let's just say, I'd prefer she didn't."_

"_I could talk to her, if you like…"_

"_I want to take Casper to Diagon Alley. Isn't there a way to get Connie Addams to…"_

"_To back off? I could ask, but-"_

"_No, don't do that. Never mind. It's not that important," Snape said, standing up and heading for the door._

"_Severus? I thought you told me she'd never mean more to you than any other student?" said Dumbledore, a familiar smile twitching at the corner of his lips. Snape said nothing but let the door shut behind him with a soft thud. He walked down to his office and wrote a return note._

_Casper,_

_Just letting you know I got your letter. I know Connie Addams from a distance and she does work for the Ministry of Magic. Personally, I don't like her very much so don't feel bad. Also, I wouldn't believe a word she says…about anything. Hope you're having a good summer, though I can't imagine you are if Connie Addams is there. See you September 1__st__._

_He didn't sign the letter and attached it to the foot of the owl that had brought him my letter._

The scene changed and took me back to Dumbledore's office, a few days later.

"_Underage magic. I am sure Connie Addams is somehow responsible for this. Let me go and talk to Casper," Snape said, frowning._

"_No, it is unnecessary. Connie has already gotten the charge removed. She claimed it was Casper's little brother," Dumbledore replied smoothly._

"_He's not her brother. It's her cousin, Dylan. Does he have magic?"_

"_It's my understanding that everyone in the Addams family who has eyes like that, has magic."_

"_I wonder if Casper knows yet?" Snape mused._

The scene changed to a more haggard-looking Snape standing before Dumbledore in his office.

"The end of your fourth year, after giving Dumbledore my report on the Dark Lord," said Snape, entwining his fingers with mine.

"_None of his questions concerned her at all. He is unaware of her existence," Snape said to Dumbledore._

"_I spoke to Casper Addams. She was outside of the hospital wing when you left. What did you tell her?" Dumbledore asked._

"_She knows about my being a spy."_

"_You aren't afraid of her revealing your secret?"_

"_Casper would never do that. She would never betray my trust that way. I was more afraid she'd try to follow me."_

"_What did you have to promise her to keep her from following?"_

"_To let her call me by my first name," Snape admitted. Dumbledore chuckled, a knowing look in his eye. _

The scene changed to one of Snape and Dumbledore walking around Hogwarts grounds together at night.

"Sometime before or during your sixth year," Snape informed me. I nodded and listened.

"_Dumbledore, have you thought at all about what will happen to Casper Addams if I join the Death Eaters after I…kill you?" Snape asked quietly, a hint of irony touching his voice on the subject of killing Dumbledore, as if he didn't really believe he would do it._

"_Voldemort is unaware of her existence, so I see no problem," Dumbledore replied evenly._

"_I do, however. Forgive me, but you do not know Casper as I do. She will attempt to follow me or find me afterwards."_

"_Then do not tell her. Don't let her follow you."_

"_I cannot hide that information from her. My mind is open to her…and I have no wish to sever the connection or make an attempt to block her."_

"_You will if you do not wish to have her death on your hands," Dumbledore replied. Snape paled and looked slightly ill as if the thought of my death was something he wasn't prepared to deal with._

The scene changed. They were in Dumbledore's office, but it was no longer Dumbledore's. His portrait hung on the wall. Snape sat in the Headmaster's Chair, turned to face Dumbledore.

"This is when I first went to Hogwarts after Dumbledore's death," Snape said quietly.

"_So, Severus, she followed you after all?" Dumbledore said._

"_Yes. There was nothing I could do to prevent. She grabbed me as I Disapparated. He did not…he didn't kill her, like you thought he would. He seems only mildly interested by the fact she exists. He made her into a Death Eater."_

"_You prefer it this way, don't you?"_

"…_yes. I can keep an eye on her better when she is at my side. In addition, she's a very skilled Occlumens as well as Legilimins. I don't have to worry about him learning anything from her mind. It's nice to have her there with me…someone who I can talk to, who understands…"_

"_A friend?" Dumbledore suggested quietly._

"…_yes…"_

**Chapter 139**

The scene cleared and we were looking back down on Hogwarts Castle, present-time.

"That was the last memory I wished to share with you," Snape said to me. I looked at him and smiled. I stepped closer to him and kissed him on the deck of the Crystal Ship. Another voice cleared its throat and we broke apart. We were both shocked to see Albus Dumbledore standing a short ways away.

"Good evening, Casper, Severus. Tonight is the big night," said Dumbledore, peering down at Hogwarts castle, "The Final Battle."

"You. What are you doing here? Didn't you interfere with our lives enough while we were living, now you have to do it in death, too?" I asked sardonically. I wasn't really angry. It was Dumbledore, after all. Snape stepped pointedly on my toe for being rude and Dumbledore chuckled.

"I'm here to see how it all unfolds, Casper Addams. Others will come, too. I've just been with Harry Potter. They think he's dead," Dumbledore said, pointing down, "But he is just biding his time."

"So we haven't missed the party," said another voice. Sirius Black had appeared, followed by Lupin, and a number of other people. At the end of the line of people stood Lily and James Potter. I felt Snape stiffen beside me, felt his hand clench around my own. He turned his back on her, staring out into nothingness, his heart pounding. I looked up at him. He turned his gaze to mine and kept it there, refusing to look at her.

Everyone looked down on the scene below us. We could see directly into the castle now. Potter had just cast an enormous Shield Charm all over the hall, leaving only the Dark Lord and himself out of it. Cries of Potter's name and "He's Alive!" echoed throughout the hall and died just as quickly.

"I don't want anyone else to try to help," Potter said loudly, "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

The Dark Lord hissed.

"Potter doesn't mean that," he said, red eyes wide, "That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody," said Potter simply, "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good…"

"One of us?" jeered Voldemort, "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

"Accident was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Potter. Snape squeezed my hand again at the mention of Lily Evans. I let me gaze wander over to her. Everyone was looking at her and smiling. Only Snape and I stood off to the side, away from their little group of goody-goodies.

"Don't you get it?" Potter was saying down below us, "I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people-"

"But you did not!"

"-I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"

"_You dare_-"

"Yes, I dare," retorted Potter, "I know things you don't know, tom Riddle. I know many important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"

"Is it love again?" said the Dark Lord, jeering, "Dumbledore's favorite solution, _love, _which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him from falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? _Love, _which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter-"

A hiss of disapproval echoed along the line of people standing on the Crystal Ship, including a very quiet one from Snape.

"If it is not love that will save you this time," said the Dark Lord from below, "you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?"

"I believe both," said Potter. Shock flitted across the Dark Lord's face.

"You think _you _know more magic that I do?" he said, "Than _I, _than Lord Voldemort, who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?"

"Oh, he dreamed of it," said Potter, "but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you've done."

"You mean he was weak! Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!"

"No, he was cleverer than you," said Potter, "a better wizard, a better man."

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!"

"You thought you did," said Potter, "but you were wrong."

"_Dumbledore is dead!_" Voldemort shouted, "His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!"

"Yes, Dumbledore's dead," said Potter calmly, "but you did not have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant."

"What childish dream is this?"

"Severus Snape wasn't yours. Snape was Dumbledore's," Potter said.

On the Crystal Ship, every eye was on Snape. He was trying his best not to look at them, to keep his eyes on the scene below or on me. Dumbledore was smiling.

"Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?" said Potter from below and when the Dark Lord didn't answer he continued, "Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. You should have realized. He asked you to spare her life, didn't he?"

Snape glanced up at Lily quickly. Their eyes met for a brief second and Snape squeezed my hand, turning his attention back on me. I continued to look past him, at Lily, the girl who had claimed his affections for so long. I decided I wasn't angry with her. I had his affections now, didn't I?

"He desired her, that was all," sneered the Dark Lord, "but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him-"

There was nothing Snape ever wanted more than to be away from the rest of them right then. I even felt him inch away from them.

"It matters not!" shrieked the Dark Lord, "It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path! I crushed them as I crushed your mother, Snape's supposed great _love_! Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways you do not understand!

"Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little boy- I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!"

"Yeah, it did," said Potter, "You're right. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done…Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle…"

"What is this?"

"It's your one last chance, it's all you've got left…I've seen what you'll be otherwise…Be a man…try…try for some remorse…"

"You dare-"

"Yes, I dare, because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle. That wand still isn't working properly for you because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore."

"He killed-"

"Aren't you listening? _Snape never beat Dumbledore! _Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!"

"But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand! I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against its last master's wishes! Its power is mine!"

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? _The wand chooses the wizard_… The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance…The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy."

"But what does it matter?" he asked softly, "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: we duel on skill alone…and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy…"

"But you're too late," said Potter, "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him. So it all comes down to this, doesn't it? Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does…I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

The Dark Lord and Potter both lifted their wands simultaneously, just as the sun broke over the horizon.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" shouted the Dark Lord.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

The bang was like a cannon blast. The Elder Wand went flying through the air towards its true master. Potter caught it in midair as the Dark Lord flew backwards and hit the floor with mundane finality.

**Chapter 140**

Cheers erupted from the people standing on the Crystal Ship. They all hugged each other and talked happily, except for Snape and I. We still stood off to the side.

"I'm glad its over, but…what happens now? To you? To me?" I asked quietly. Snape hesitated and shrugged. I spotted Lily Evans looking towards us, but talking quietly to Dumbledore. Dumbledore nodded his head at whatever she said, and then she walked back to James Potter. She told him something quickly and he nodded, kissing her on her cheek. One by one, they began to disappear. Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, James Potter…all of them until only Dumbledore, Lily, Snape, and I were left. Dumbledore stayed where he was standing but Lily walked over to us.

I grit my teeth as we faced her. Snape wouldn't meet her eyes, but kept them fixated on the floor by her feet.

"Hello, Casper. I'm glad we finally get to meet," said Lily, her voice soft and musical. I looked at her and didn't respond.

"Right then…I'd like to do something for you…Dumbledore agreed with it, so…I want to restore Severus to life for you, Casper," Lily said finally.

"…you can do that?" I asked softly.

"Yes. It's complicated, but…it will work, I'm sure of it. Would you like that, Severus?"

Snape looked up to meet her eyes at last.

"I would like that a lot," he whispered quietly.

"Casper…if you don't mind…could I have a word with Severus alone, please?" Lily asked me. As much as I didn't want that to happen, I nodded my head. Snape released my hand, which he had been holding, and I walked over to where Dumbledore stood.

"I guess I didn't do quite so bad, eh, Casper?" he asked, his blue eyes twinkling.

"I guess not," I replied dryly. I was trying not to look at Lily and Snape, trying not to guess what they were talking about.

"I wouldn't worry about it," said Dumbledore evenly, "Lily's heart belongs to James."

"What about Severus? Will his affections for me trump his love for Lily?" I murmured, eyeing her with dislike, then turning my back on them.

"I think so. Look," he said, nodding to them. I looked. Lily hugged Snape quickly, then stepped back and began to walk towards Dumbledore. I steered clear of her as if she were something contagious. Snape walked over to me and took my hand. He squeezed it to let me know all was well.

"Ready, Albus?" Lily asked Dumbledore. He nodded and they waved at us as they began to fade away. When they had completely disappeared, I looked up at Snape.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly.

"Of course," he replied lightly and smiled at me. He kissed my hand as darkness began to descend around us.

When the darkness cleared, we were standing in the dark of the Shrieking Shack. Snape's body was still on the floor. I turned to him to say something, and nearly choked. Standing beside me was not Snape, as I had known him for the past eight years. It was the teenage version of Snape I had seen in the Pensieve.

"A favor I asked of Lily," he explained with a smile, "For your benefit."

I smiled and kissed him, noticing that I no longer had to stand on my tiptoes to do so.

"Oh, Sev. I like you no matter what you look like," I assured him. Snape looked down at his dead body on the floor and shuddered slightly. He took his wand and pocketed it. Then he toed his own corpse apprehensively.

"Weird. Let's get out of here," he said to me, tugging on my hand. I obeyed him. When we left the Shrieking Shack, I had to shade my eyes against the bright morning sun.

"So where are we going to go?" Snape asked me. It was his usual Snape voice, but he sounded happier, carefree.

"I don't care, as long as we get out of this bloody sunlight," I said, squinting at him. He smiled and nodded towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Seems dark enough in there. We could fight our way through," he suggested.

"And why would we want to do that?"

"To see what's on the other side, of course," he replied with a grin. I grinned as well.

"Haven't you had enough adventure for a lifetime?" I inquired.

"Hmm…nope. I have a whole lifetime ahead of me to spend with you, Casper. Let's go have an adventure," he replied, "A fun one."

"That works for me," I said. We both pulled out our wands and, hand in hand, walked into the darkness of the forest.

**THE END**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yay, it's the end! Or is it? If I get enough feedback I may post an Epilogue. Ooh…excitement, eh? Anyways, let me know what you thought and thanks for sticking through to the end. You all are amazing. **

**~Vampyre**


	9. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

_**(SIX YEARS LATER)**_

I awoke at 10:00 with the sun shining through the window of our cabin. We'd built it in the exact center of the Forbidden Forest, where no one could ever possibly find us. Not that anyone would have recognized either of us. We were both in our twenties now. I was tall, my hair was long, and I was three months pregnant. Snape was tall, skinny, and happy. He looked a lot different than he had when he was grown. He actually looked happy most of the time. He still wore black and scowled a lot, but he was happy. I was happy, too.

Snape awoke and rolled over to kiss me. I smiled as I stretched and got out of bed. That's when my eyes fell on the calendar.

"Do you know what today is?" I asked Snape.

"Uh…September 1st?" he replied, glancing at the calendar, "Why, is it important?"

"Today would be the day my little cousin goes to Hogwarts," I said, then added, "…if he has magic."

"Dumbledore said he did."

"Then I feel certain that today would be the day Dylan goes. He must be so excited," I said, smiling.

"Do you think he will remember you?"

"Doubtful…but I still want to see him get Sorted. I think I'll sneak in and watch, using my Disillusionment Charm."

"Would you like for me to go with you?" he offered.

"No. I'd rather go on my own, if it's okay," I said softly. He nodded and hugged me from behind, placing his hand on my stomach.

"Twelve more years and our own child will be going to Hogwarts," he said, then kissed my cheek.

"He'll definitely be a Slytherin," I said with a smile, touching my stomach absently.

"_She _will have her mother's brains, that's for sure," he replied. It had become a common disagreement between us over the past few months- I felt certain the baby would be a boy, he felt certain it would be a girl.

"Oh, Sev. How many times do I have to tell you- it feels like a boy," I insisted.

"You can't possibly know that," he said in response.

"Hmph," I said and shoved him playfully.

When it started to get dark out I went outside and grabbed one of the broomsticks we had for when we went to Diagon Alley for food. Flying to Hogwarts wouldn't take very long at all, but sneaking in might be trickier. I didn't know if McGonagall had added any new charms when she became Headmistress. I went ahead and cast my Disillusionment Charm, then stowed my wand in my pocket.

Flying through the darkening sky felt wonderful. It had been a while since I went flying by myself. I hadn't ever felt the need to. I loved Snape more than anything in the world. But now flying by myself, looking down at the passing trees, I felt wonderful.

I landed just outside the castle entrance. I could see the boats full of first-years coming towards it. When they finally reached where I stood I scanned the crowd, looking for someone who could be my cousin. Finally I saw him- long black hair, silver eyes, looking excited. I walked alongside him, invisible, as he made his way into the castle.

He talked animatedly to a boy walking alongside him.

"I didn't know I had magic until the letter came," said the boy beside him, "My parents aren't magic."

"Mine aren't either, but my Dad's a Squib. That's a wizard that can't do magic. He was so excited when the letter came. Mum's a Muggle, you see, so he never thought I'd have magic. I had an older sister, once. She had magic," Dylan said to him. My heart skipped a beat. He had just mentioned me…but as a sister.

"What-" began the boy, but he was cut off by an eavesdropping boy walking ahead of them.

"Your Dad is a _squib_?" said the boy nastily, suppressing a laugh, "That's almost _worse _than having a Muggle for a mother. You aren't likely to be good at anything at all."

"Shut up," said the boy beside Dylan.

"No, don't worry about it," Dylan said to his friend, "It's just talk. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

"What's this Muggle rubbish you're spitting at me?" said the nasty little boy. Someone cleared their throat- it was Hagrid, McGonagall's right-hand guy.

"Any trouble here?" Hagrid inquired, eyeing the boy. The boy looked Hagrid up and down, and decided he might sit on him if he started anything.

"No, sir," he said lightly.

"No trouble at all," Dylan added. Hagrid frowned, then walked off. The boy whipped back around to Dylan and his friend as soon as Hagrid was out of earshot.

"The name's Burke. Nathaniel Burke. Don't you forget it. I'll see you later, Mudbloods," said the boy before walking off.

"What a complete arse," remarked Dylan's friend.

"He's all talk. Besides, Todd, no one really cares about pureblood status since Harry Potter defeated Voldemort," Dylan replied, "Come on, let's go inside. We're getting left behind."

I followed them into the Entrance Hall silently. Dylan and Todd might not have cared about "Burke, Nathaniel Burke" but I did. As soon as I could get close to him without anyone noticing, I Stupefied him nonverbally, Disillusioned him, and then hid his unconscious body in a broom closet. He wouldn't be found until after the Sorting. It made me smile to think I'd done my cousin a favor.

McGonagall stood at the front of the Great Hall beside the stool with the Sorting Hat sitting on it. A few times it seemed like her eyes passed over me, but I decided I was being paranoid. It had been years since I'd been in the Great Hall. It was filled with children, most of them talking excitedly to their friends. I touched my stomach absently and smiled. I stood out of the way where I wouldn't accidentally be trodden upon. I spotted Filch a little ways away. At his feet sat not only Mrs. Norris, but Gabriel as well. He looked well-fed and well-groomed. He happened to glance at me, his bright green eyes piercing my Disillusionment Charm. He began to purr quietly, then focused his attention on the Sorting Hat as it started to sing.

Dylan was one of the first ones to be sorted, because his last name was Addams. He looked nervous and excited. He sat very still underneath the Sorting Hat. It seemed like an eternity before the brim of the hat opened wide and shouted "Ravenclaw!". I joined in with the clapping, though quietly so no one could hear me. Dylan smiled as he sat down with his fellow Ravenclaws but he didn't talk much. I stayed through the rest of the Sorting, though I didn't really care to. Dylan's friend Todd was also sorted into Ravenclaw.

Soon the Great Hall began to clear as students made their way to the staircase on their way to bed. I started to follow Dylan, but was stopped by a firm hand on my shoulder. I turned and found myself face to face with McGonagall. Horror shot its way through me- horror that I had been found out, horror that McGonagall clearly knew who I was…but she didn't say anything. She merely made a 'follow me' motion with her hand. I did so obediently- what choice did I have? I followed her out of the Great Hall and up a few staircases. We were alone as we walked down the corridor to her office.

"Casper Addams…I never imagined I would see you alive again," she remarked.

"I…uh…hmm…" I stammered, at a loss for words.

"Why don't you start by removing your Disillusionment Charm?" McGonagall suggested kindly. Strange that she didn't sound angry with me. Frowning slightly, I removed my Disillusionment Charm.

"How did you see through it?" I asked curiously.

"I've learned a few tricks in my old age, Casper Addams."

We stopped just outside of her office- the office that had once belonged to Snape, and previously Dumbledore. She gave the password and we went into her office.

The room looked almost the same. Same desk, same chair, same large portrait of Dumbledore directly behind it. The only notable addition was a portrait of Snape to the right of Dumbledore. It was old Snape, not the Snape I had grown used to seeing the past few years. Still our eyes met and we shared a crooked smile.

"Casper Addams," said Dumbledore's portrait cheerfully, "I had a feeling you had survived."

"Yeah…I've just been…around," I mumbled, still halfway smiling.

"Everyone assumed you had been killed," McGonagall said, sitting down, "They found Severus's body, but they never found yours. Some people thought you just ran off. There were many Death Eaters whose bodies were never found."

"I was never really a Death Eater," I said quickly, "not at heart, anyway."

I absentmindedly rubbed the Dark Mark on my forearm.

"Then why join them?" McGonagall inquired.

"Dumbledore could have told you that," I murmured, "I just followed Severus. I didn't have anyone else, really, so I followed him… That, plus, you know, the Dark Lord was my father and all."

"Hmm," McGonagall said thoughtfully, "And why did you return tonight?"

"To see my cousin, Dylan, get sorted," I replied, "I didn't plan on staying long, but…"

"I see…"

"Well, no harm, no foul," said Dumbledore's portrait, "I don't _really _see it necessary for there to be consequences, do you Professor McGonagall?"

"No, I suppose not," she agreed.

"Very well. I would like to have a word with Casper before she leaves. Alone, if you don't mind," Dumbledore said.

"Of course," McGonagall said and she nodded to me quickly before leaving the room.

There were a few minutes of silence as I recalled some of the times I had spent in this office. One of the last times I had been alone with Dumbledore here he had told me, in basic terms, that he was responsible for mine and Snape's relationship. For that, I would be eternally grateful.

"So…tell me what happened, Casper," Dumbledore said to me. The portrait of Old Snape also looked curious.

"Well, the chances of you believing me are slim, but…"

I proceeded to tell them both everything that had happened the night Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord, and some things that happened afterwards.

"So, I'm really still alive?" Snape asked, baffled.

"Well…yeah. You are. Sort of. You are younger," I replied with a grin.

"Stranger things have happened," Dumbledore said cheerfully, "…though I can't think of any at the moment. Of course, there is always the alternate possibility that you've gone completely mad since Severus's death."

"You don't believe me?" I asked, frowning.

"No, I believe you," Dumbledore assured me, "You've got the proof growing there."

He pointed to my stomach which I touched absently, thinking of the baby growing there and smiling fondly.

"Also, if you had gone mad, you would not look quite so happy," Dumbledore added, "At least, not _genuinely _happy, as you do now. Still, I wouldn't recommend telling anyone else what happened. They're more likely to lock you up in St. Mungo's hospital."

"I haven't told anyone besides you two in six years, I don't think I'm going to start now," I replied coolly. Dumbledore smiled and shook his head.

When I left Hogwarts castle I didn't head straight for where I had hidden my broomstick. I walked around the grounds for a little while, looking out over the lake and following a path which led me to a fountain made up of eight deer with water coming from their mouths. It looked vaguely familiar…

"It's the fountain we sat at on the night of the Yule ball," said a voice from the shadows. I jumped slightly and turned to see Snape step into the moonlight.

"You scared the crap out of me, Sev. What are you doing here?" I inquired.

"I came to make sure everything was alright and got distracted by the beauty that is Hogwarts," he replied. He looked once more around the grounds and sat on the edge of the fountain. I sat beside him and looked up at the stars. A few minutes passed and I heard him chuckle quietly.

"What's so funny?" I asked, smiling at him faintly.

"Nothing, I was just remembering…this was the first place I realized I had feelings for you. You were sitting there in your dress robes, looking up at the stars, and I realized how beautiful you looked…" he murmured quietly.

"Sev, I was only fourteen then," I said in a chastising tone.

"Well when did you first decide you might have feelings for me?" he asked me. I thought about it for a moment and blushed.

"That first time when I hugged you, after the start-of-term feast," I admitted bashfully.

"You were fourteen then, too," he said smugly. I crossed my eyes and stuck out my tongue at him. He chuckled quietly. I looked up at the stars again. Silence reigned for a few minutes.

"Casper, can I ask you a question?" he asked suddenly.

"Uh, sure," I replied, frowning curiously and looking at him.

"Well, you may not remember, but…what did you wish for that night? You wished on a falling star…" he murmured quietly. I felt myself blush as I recalled my wish and for a moment I didn't answer.

"I wished," I said finally, "For you. In whatever way I could have you."

Surprise registered and then he smiled tenderly.

"Looks like your wish came true," he said to me and then he kissed me.

Our kiss was interrupted by a presence on the grounds. I could feel it with my mind and with a slight prod peered into the person's mind to find that it was none other than Dylan. His mind was teeming with excitement and curiosity. He wasn't invisible but he was dressed in all black to hide in the shadows.

"_Let's see what he does," _Snape said to me in my mind. I nodded briefly.

We watched as Dylan snuck into the broom shed and got out a broom. His heart pounding with excitement, he mounted the broomstick and began to rise into the air. He wasn't very steady on it but after a few minutes of flying low and close to the ground, he began to fly a little higher. A sudden gust of wind caught him off guard and he slid right off the broom. I leapt up and grabbed my wand. I slowed his descent considerably and dropped him gently onto the ground. As I walked towards Dylan, Snape disappeared into the shadows.

"Who are you?" Dylan asked me anxiously, "You're not a teacher, are you?"

"No, I'm not a teacher. …my name is Casper. Casper Addams. Do you remember me?"

He inhaled sharply at the mention of my name and with shining silver eyes he looked over me curiously.

"I do remember you…a little bit, anyway…but you can't be Casper Addams," he declared.

"Why not?" I inquired.

"Because Casper Addams was killed by Voldemort when I was young," he replied simply. The simply way in which he said the Dark Lord's name temporarily unnerved me.

"You aren't afraid to speak the Dark Lord's name?" I asked, amazed.

"Why should I be? Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself, and Voldemort is gone and dead, so I have nothing to fear," he answered lightly. His rationality and bravery surprised me. Many people were still terrified to speak the Dark Lord's name. It was like a curse.

"Well, I wasn't killed by the Dark Lord. I have a house somewhere where I have been living for these past six years. I should have come back, but…it's complicated," I said quietly. I could tell that he believed me and he was content enough not to ask questions.

"I saw you get Sorted," I said, changing the subject.

"That was exciting, wasn't it? The Sorting Hat considered two houses for me. In the end, he let me pick. Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," he informed me, "Which house were you in?"

"Slytherin," I replied, "the Sorting Hat let me pick, too. He said I had traits to fit into any of the houses."

"Slytherin?" he repeated, eyes wide, "Were you one of the bad guys?"

"No, Dylan. You must never believe that, no matter what you hear. Everything I did, I did out of love for… a friend. Think of me as a spy. That's really what I was," I murmured quietly. He nodded thoughtfully. I turned to head into the forest.

"Will I ever see you again, Casper?" he asked me.

"I should think so. I'll come back and visit you here on the grounds when I can."

"But how will I know when you're here?" Dylan inquired.

"I'll find a way to let you know," I assured him.

"Can I maybe bring my new friend Todd sometime?" he asked shyly.

I smiled at the thought that my cousin had a best friend already. I had a feeling that they would be friends for a long time, if not forever.

"Of course you can," I said with a brief nod, "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Casper," Dylan said, waving to me.

"Goodbye."

I found Snape waiting for me just within the shadows of the forest. He smiled at me and nodded back towards the castle.

"You forgot your broomstick," he informed me.

"Damn. Knew I was forgetting something. _Accio Broomstick,_" I said, waving my wand. A few seconds later I could see my broomstick coming towards me and I grabbed it.

"So you are going to come back and see your cousin regularly?" Snape asked curiously.

"Yes. I want to mentor him. The first thing I want to teach him is the Disillusionment Charm and maybe some basic Occlumency, so that he can sneak out without being caught."

"He's only a first-year, Casper. I don't know if he'll be able to learn any of those things yet," Snape said gently.

"Well I learned the Disillusionment Charm when I was a first-year," I replied defiantly.

"You were a very talented first-year and exceptionally powerful," he said lightly.

"Dylan said the Dark Lord's name," I said, abruptly changing the subject. He raised a curious eyebrow.

"He was not afraid?"

"No. He said fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself," I informed him.

"Dumbledore used to say the same thing."

"My cousin could be the next Albus Dumbledore," I said with a grin, "He could end up being Headmaster of Hogwarts when he grows up."

"Anything is possible. With you as a mentor, he will certainly know enough magic to take the post. Perhaps I could help you teach him sometimes?"

"Of course, Sev. Whenever you want to," I replied, surprised, "I never thought you would want to. I could have introduced you to my cousin tonight if you had wanted me to."

"If I had wanted you to, I would have let you known, Casper," he said pointedly, "You can introduce me some other time. You two should get to know each other again before bringing me into it."

"Okay, if that's what you want."

We fell silent, looking up at the stars in the sky. Snape looked back down at me. He tucked a loose strand of hair out of my face and kissed my forehead.

"I love you, Casper," he said quietly, putting his arm around me.

"I love you, too, Severus. Let's go home," I murmured. He intertwined his fingers with mine and we walked into the forest together towards our home.

THE END

Author's Note: Well that's the end. Seriously this time. I've started a new fanfic that I think is going to be a hundred times better and more organized than Dreams. I hope you will all read it when I post it. I will try to get around to each of you individually and let you know when I put it up. Unfortunately, It will be a while because I'm going to wait until I finish this time, so I can better organize my thoughts and edit before I post. I'm already almost through Year 4 though, so it shouldn't be too long. I promise it'll be good. I haven't thought of a name yet, but keep an eye out for new things by me.

~thevampyre13


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